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FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


FAMOUS  LEADERS  SERIES 

BY 

CHARLES  H.  L.  JOHNSTON 

Each  one  volume,  large  12mo,  Illustrated. 
$1.50 

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FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 
FAMOUS  INDIAN  CHIEFS 
FAMOUS  SCOUTS 
FAMOUS  PRIVATEERSMEN 

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L.  C.  PAGE  & COMPANY 


53  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


GENERAL  PHILIP  H.  SHERIDAN 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY 
LEADERS 

Through  the  ages  with  the  Heroes  of  sabre, 
spur,  and  saddle;  with  faithful  accounts  of 
their  forced  marches,  dashing  raids,  and 
glorious  charges 


By 

CHARLES  H.  L.  JOHNSTON 


Illustrated 


BOSTON.  L.  C.  PAGE  & 
COMPANY.  PUBLISHERS 


Copyright , igoS 

By  L.  C.  Page  & Company 

(incorporate  j) 

All  rights  reserved 


First  Impression,  July,  1908 
Second  Impression,  June,  1910 
Third  Impression,  January,  1912 


COLONIAL  PRESS 

EUctrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  S intends  Co. 

Boston,  U.  S.  A. 


9^3,5 

J'lzb  f 


Dedicated  to 

®t)t  ^Sops  of  H>atnt  parti's  School 

SOUTHBORO,  MASSACHUSETTS 


Thanks  are  due  the  Librarian  of  Congress 
for  numerous  courtesies  extended  to  the  author 
during  the  compilation  of  this  volume 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION 

So  many  inquiries  have  come  to  me  regarding  the 
truth  of  my  statement  to  the  effect  that  the  lion-hearted 
Marshal  Ney  was  not  shot,  that  I regret  a foot-note 
was  not  added,  giving  the  authority  for  my  conclu- 
sion, at  the  time  of  the  publication  of  the  first  edition 
of  this  work.  The  fact  is  fully  proved  in  a volume 
entitled  Historic  Doubts  as  to  the  Execution 
of  Marshal  Ney,  by  the  Reverend  James  A.  Weston, 
Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Ascension,  Hickory, 
N.  C. ; Major  33d  N.  C.  Regiment,  Confederate 
States  Army;  Honorary  Member  of  the  North  Caro- 
lina Historical  Society,  etc.,  etc.  Published  in  1895, 
by  Thomas  Whittaker,  2 and  3 Bible  House,  New 
York. 

This  work  is  in  most  public  libraries,  but,  I believe, 
is  at  present  out  of  print.  It  gives  convincing  and 
accurate  proof  of  the  fallacy  of  the  belief  that  Mar- 
shal Ney  was  killed  by  the  soldiers  of  France.  I have 
submitted  it  to  several  members  of  the  Bar  and  also 
to  a number  of  Judges,  among  whom  I would  mention 
Tudge  William  Allen  Hayes,  of  Elmwood  Avenue, 


v 


vi  PREFACE  TO  THIRD  EDITION 


Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  all  of  whom  were  of  the 
opinion  that  the  Reverend  Mr.  Weston  had  proved 
his  case  to  their  entire  satisfaction. 

Charles  H.  L.  Johnston. 

“ Single  Oak,  ” Woodley  Lane  Road, 

Washington,  D.  C.,  January  5th,  1912. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Attila,  the  Scourge  of  God i 

Saladin:  The  Great  Sultan  of  Egypt  ....  17 

Genghis  Khan:  The  Perfect  Warrior  ....  35 

Chevalier  Bayard:  The  Warrior  without  Fear  and 

without  Reproach 53 

Count  Pappenheim:  The  Troublesome  ....  74 

Gustavus  Adolphus:  The  Lion  of  the  North  . . 91 

Prince  Rupert:  The  Impetuous 122 

Old  Father  Ziethen:  The  Prussian  War  Horse  . 143 

Frederick  William  Baron  von  Seydlitz:  Hero  of  the 

Seven  Years’  War 171 

Francis  Marion:  The  Swamp  Fox 197 

Marshal  Ney.  the  Bravest  of  the  Brave  . . . 220 

Joachim  Murat:  The  Great  Napoleonic  Leader  of 

Horse 248 

Jeb  Stuart:  Cavalier  ........  277 

Phil  Sheridan:  The  Daredevil 313 

George  Armstrong  Custer:  Indian  Fighter  . . 359 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

General  Philip  H.  Sheridan  ....  Frontispiece 

Attila,  King  of  the  Huns 2 

A Charge  of  Attila  and  His  Huns  . . . . 12 

Saladin,  Sultan  of  Egypt 17 

Genghis  Khan 35 

Chevalier  Bayard 53 

Bayard  Defending  the  Bridge  of  Garrillano  , . 65 

Gottfried  Heinrich,  Count  Pappenheim  ...  74 

Gustavus  Adolphus 91 

Gustavus  Adolphus  before  the  Battle  of  Lutzen  . 117 

Prince  Rupert 122 

Prince  Rupert  at  the  Assault  of  Bristol  . . . 139 

General  Ziethen 143 

General  Baron  von  Seydlitz 171 

Francis  Marion 197 

General  Marion  and  the  British  Officer  . . .211 

Marshal  Ney 220 

Marshal  Ney  in  the  Retreat  from  Moscow  . . 238 

Joachim  Murat 248 

Murat  at  the  Battle  of  Wertingen  ....  259 

Major  - General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart 277 

The  Last  Charge  of  Sheridan’s  Cavalry  at  Appomat- 
tox   313 

General  George  A.  Custer 359 

Death  of  General  Custer . . 389 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY 
LEADERS  ' 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD 
[a.d.  410—454] 

FOUR  hundred  odd  years  after  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  Era,  a savage  monarch  terrorized  all 
the  nations  of  Europe  and  Asia.  This  was  Attila, 
King  of  the  Huns,  — known  to  all  those  upon  whom  he 
waged  barbarous  and  cruel  warfare,  as  the  Scourge  of 
God.  So  feared  was  he,  that  when  a boy  disobeyed  his 
parents,  he  was  not  punished  in  the  usual  manner. 
Pointing  to  the  North  with  an  outstretched  arm,  the 
mother  or  the  father  of  the  disobedient  child  would  say, 
“ If  you  are  not  good,  Attila  will  come  down  from  the 
North  with  all  his  horsemen,  and  Attila,  the  terrible  one, 
will  get  you.”  This  warning  was  usually  sufficient  to 
make  the  child  behave,  for  Attila,  the  fierce  ruler  of 
Hunnish  hordes,  was  dreaded  far  and  wide  among  all 
those  who  loved  a life  of  peace  and  harmony. 

The  father  of  this  much  feared  chieftain  was  called 
Mundzuk,  and  of  him  the  dim  pages  of  history  have  given 
us  little  record.  He  could  not  have  had  a very  pleasing 

1 


2 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


aspect,  for  the  Huns  were  not  a very  handsome  race  of 
people.  They  had  swarthy  faces  which  they  gashed  with 
huge  cuts  in  early  childhood  so  as  to  prevent  the  hair  from 
growing  and  to  make  them  look  more  savage  and  ferocious. 
Their  figures  were  squat,  their  eyes  black,  deep-set,  and 
twinkling.  By  nature  they  were  wild  and  blood-thirsty. 
From  earliest  years  they  were  trained  to  ride  on  horseback 
and  they  became  so  perfect  in  this  art  that  their  bodies 
seemed  to  be  moulded  to  the  backs  of  their  shaggy,  little 
steeds.  They  lived,  as  much  as  possible,  in  the  open  air, 
and  despised  those  who  slept  in  houses. 

About  the  year  400  a.  d.  we  hear  that  they  resided  in  the 
country  lying  north  of  Italy  and  Greece,  but  they  had  not 
always  been  in  this  part  of  Europe.  Originally  they  had 
lived  in  the  northern  portion  of  what  is  now  the  Chinese 
Empire,  and,  starting  from  this  barren  waste,  had  overrun 
a large  amount  of  territory.  They  were  proud  of  these 
captured  possessions  and  boasted  that  their  kingdom 
stretched  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  in  the  North,  and  to  the 
Pacific  in  the  East.  So  powerful  were  they  and  so  feared, 
that  in  the  third  century  before  the  Christian  Era,  a wall 
of  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  length  was  constructed  upon 
the  frontier  of  China  in  order  to  defend  the  people  from 
their  inroads.  This  stupendous  work  can  be  seen  to-day, 
but  it  could  never  keep  them  from  plundering  expeditions 
among  the  unwarlike  Chinese.  They  would  make  fre- 
quent cavalry  raids  upon  their  neighbours,  and  the  squad- 
rons travelled  with  such  swiftness  that  it  was  impossible 
to  catch  them  after  they  had  gained  sufficient  plunder. 
These  forces  frequently  consisted  of  tw’o  or  three  hundred 
thousand  men,  armed  with  long  lances,  with  bows,  and 


ATTILA,  KING  OF  THE  HUNS 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  3 


with  arrows.  The  soldiers  managed  their  horses  with  the 
greatest  dexterity  and  were  hardened  to  stand  the  most 
severe  changes  of  the  weather.  They  never  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  checked  by  torrents,  precipices,  rivers,  or  high 
mountains. 

Living  in  the  temperate  climate  of  the  North  and  feeding 
mainly  upon  raw  and  uncooked  food,  their  fierceness  was 
similar  to  that  of  the  wild  beasts  which  often  surrounded 
their  camps  on  the  great  plains  of  Siberia.  To  their  flying 
squadrons  of  cavalry  they  would  often  add  a goodly  number 
of  spare  horses  which  they  would  use  either  to  redouble 
their  speed,  or  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  On  quick 
marches  they  would  provide  themselves  with  a quantity 
of  small  balls  of  rolled  cheese.  These  could  be  dissolved 
in  water,  and  even  this  scanty  diet  would  support  their 
warlike  spirits  for  a great  length  of  time. 

Gradually  these  wild  Huns  became  more  anxious  for  a 
better  and  richer  country  than  the  bare  and  rigorous  ter- 
ritory which  they  occupied,  so  they  determined  to  move 
with  all  their  herds  and  families.  The  Chinese,  too,  had 
begun  to  give  them  more  annoyance,  and  they  had  been 
frequently  beaten  back  from  the  Mongolian  border. 
Boldly  they  advanced  into  Eastern  Europe,  where  they 
hoped  to  find  more  plentiful  subsistence  and  a climate  of 
greater  mildness.  It  was  a great  emigration  and  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  move  such  a horde  had  it  not  been 
particularly  easy  because  of  the  extreme  coldness  of  the 
climate.  As  a result  of  this  the  broad  and  rapid  rivers 
which  flow  into  the  Black  and  the  Caspian  seas,  were 
frozen  to  the  depth  of  three  of  four  feet,  and  over  these 
the  advancing  Huns  safely  transported  their  wagons, 


4 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


cattle,  and  families.  They  marched  with  great  energy 
and  soon  had  taken  possession  of  a new  kingdom. 

Their  advance  was,  of  course,  fiercely  combated  by  the 
people  who  were  then  inhabiting  the  land  which  they 
desired.  Many  bloody  engagements  took  place,  but  all 
fell  before  the  might  of  the  greedy  Barbarians.  The  Goths, 
— a people  originally  living  in  the  country  north  of  the 
Danube  — were  driven  farther  south  into  the  confines  of 
the  Roman  Empire,  for  the  Romans  then  held  sway  over 
France,  Germany,  and  what  is  now  Turkey.  The  strength 
and  cruelty  of  the  Huns  were  felt,  dreaded  and  much  mag- 
nified by  all  who  came  in  their  victorious  path,  for  suddenly 
the  people  saw  their  fields  and  Ullages  consumed  by  flames, 
and  their  women  and  children  slaughtered  before  their 
very  eyes.  Every  one  abhorred  and  detested  the  deformed 
Barbarians  whose  shrill  voices,  uncouth  manners,  and 
warlike  conduct  incited  the  greatest  terror. 

Attila  was  similar  in  features  to  the  rest  of  the  Huns. 
His  head  was  large,  his  complexion  swarthy,  his  eyes  were 
small  and  deep-set.  His  nose  was  flat  and  a few  hairs  were 
upon  his  face  in  place  of  a beard.  He  had  broad  shoulders, 
a short,  square  body  of  great  strength,  and  short  legs. 
Descended  from  a regal  line  of  ancient  Huns  who  had 
formerly  waged  war  upon  the  Emperor  of  China,  he 
showed,  by  his  haughty  step  and  domineering  manner, 
that  he  fully  realized  the  fact  that  he  was  superior  to  the 
rest  of  mankind.  He  had  a custom  of  rolling  his  eyes 
fiercely  and  it  gave  him  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  see  the 
terror  which  this  inspired. 

Accustomed  from  early  youth  to  exercise  upon  horse- 
back, the  King  of  the  Huns  was  perfectly  at  home  in  the 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  5 


saddle  and  could  throw  the  javelin  and  shoot  with  the  long, 
Tartar  bow,  with  splendid  accuracy.  Although  surrounded 
with  much  barbaric  splendour  and  handsomely  dressed 
attendants,  it  was  his  custom  to  appear  as  often  as  possible 
in  the  simplest  of  raiment.  In  no  way  could  he  have  been 
distinguished  from  his  poorest  followers  save  that  his 
clothes  were  always  clean,  and  of  the  newest  texture.  At 
the  table  he  would  eat  from  a wooden  bowl  when  those 
about  him  dined  from  golden  plates.  Flesh  was  his  only 
food.  He  never  tasted  bread  and  was  usually  most  careful 
in  eating  and  drinking.  He  insisted  upon  using  a cup  of 
ivy  wood  instead  of  the  goblet  of  gold  which  one  would  ex- 
pect such  a powerful  monarch  to  use. 

Associated  with  Attila  in  the  government  was  a brother, 
Bleda,  and  in  the  treaty  concluded  in  the  year  of  their 
joint  accession,  his  name  appears  as  co-administrator  of 
affairs.  But  Attila  could  bear  no  interference  with  his 
sole  direction  of  the  kingdom,  and  soon  his  brother  was 
forced  to  give  up  his  position.  He  died,  shortly  afterwards ; 
but  whether  from  natural  causes,  or  whether  from  poison, 
the  ancient  historians  who  have  left  records  of  the  Huns 
on  yellow  parchment,  can  give  us  no  clue.  It  was  not  long 
after  this  event  that  a simple-minded  herdsman,  who  was 
tending  cattle  on  the  plain  near  the  royal  residence,  noticed 
blood  flowing  from  the  foot  of  one  of  the  heifers  in  the 
herd.  Following  the  track  with  much  curiosity,  he  dis- 
covered the  point  of  a sword  sticking  upward  from  the 
grass.  He  dug  deep  into  the  ground  and  unearthed  an 
ancient  and  rusty  weapon  which  he  presented  to  Attila, 
asserting  that  it  was  that  of  Mars  — the  God  of  War,  a 
deity  whom  the  Huns  worshipped  in  the  figure  of  a sword 


6 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


— and  that  it  was  a certain  indication  that  he  alone  should 
rule.  Attila  — much  pleased  — accepted  this  favour  of  the 
Gods,  and  then  made  claim  to  the  government  of  the  entire 
earth ; asserting  that  his  right  was  based  on  the  will  of  The 
Most  High. 

Certainly  we  know  that  he  actually  did  rule  over  a vast 
amount  of  territory.  By  some  of  the  ancient  writers  he  is 
spoken  of  as  the  Emperor  of  Germany  alone,  but  by  others 
he  is  said  to  have  control  of  an  Empire  stretching  into  the 
very  heart  of  Asia.  It  is  even  asserted  that  he  made  an 
alliance  with  the  Emperor  of  China  against  their  common 
enemies,  and  thus  became  part  governor  of  the  Chinese 
nation.  It  is  certain,  at  any  rate,  that  he  controlled  a great 
number  of  people  of  different  blood  and  nationality.  The 
chiefs,  kings,  and  leaders  of  the  numerous  martial  tribes 
who  lived  in  the  lands  which  he  possessed  and  who  served 
under  the  standard  of  this  fierce  Barbarian,  wrere  sub- 
missively ranged  as  guards  and  domestic  servants  around 
the  person  of  their  sovereign  when  gathered  together  for 
peaceful  ends,  or  to  discuss  war.  Thus  his  court  was  not 
only  a most  picturesque  collection  of  retainers,  but  it  con- 
sisted of  a great  number  of  persons.  In  time  of  peace,  all 
these  dependents,  with  their  troops,  attended  the  royal 
camp  where  they  received  advice  and  counsel  from  their 
master.  Should  warfare  be  waged  and  should  Attila  wish 
to  collect  a military  force,  he  could  put  into  the  field  an 
army  of  from  five  to  seven  hundred  thousand  men.  These, 
for  the  most  part,  were  mounted  on  horses. 

At  the  beginning  of  Attila’s  reign,  Theodosius,  the 
younger,  was  Roman  Emperor  of  the  East.  He  was  but 
twenty-five  years  of  age  and  not  a man  of  martial  dis- 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  7 


position.  Instead  of  perfecting  himself  in  the  art  of  war 
he  interested  himself  in  religious  controversies  and  spent 
much  time  in  illuminating  sacred  manuscripts  with  skill 
and  industry.  Thus  he  was  powerless  to  stop  the  savage 
onrush  of  the  Huns,  and  to  protect  the  Roman  province 
from  fire  and  slaughter,  when  Attila  determined  to  invade 
his  country.  In  441  A.  d.  the  horsemen  of  the  warlike 
Barbarians  ravaged  nearly  the  whole  of  Europe  and  drove 
the  Roman  legions  before  them,  whenever  they  came  in 
contact. 

Theodosius  endeavoured  to  seek  peace  with  this  scourge 
of  the  Roman  possessions,  but,  instead  of  treating  him 
with  kindness,  the  Hunnish  retinue,  with  whom  he  par- 
leyed, dictated  harsh  and  humiliating  terms.  They  refused 
to  dismount  from  their  horses  when  discussing  the  over- 
tures of  peace,  for  they  wished  to  humiliate  the  pride  of 
Rome.  Theodosius  had  already  paid  a yearly  tribute  of 
seventy  thousand  dollars  to  Attila,  but  this  was  now  raised 
to  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand.  The  Huns  insisted 
that  there  should  be  free  markets  at  which  they  and  the 
Romans  should  meet  on  equal  terms,  and  that  any  tribe 
upon  which  Attila  should  choose  to  levy  war  should  be  ex- 
cluded from  the  alliance  of  Rome,  if  such  an  alliance  already 
existed.  The  Roman  Emperor  weakly  gave  in  to  all  these 
demands,  and,  in  order  to  further  satisfy  the  will  of  Attila, 
two  children  of  the  royal  Hunnish  blood  (who  had  escaped 
to  the  Roman  province  and  wished  to  remain  there)  were 
given  up  to  him  by  the  Roman  officers  and  crucified  on 
Roman  territory,  by  express  order  of  the  barbaric  chief- 
tain. 

But  this  Tvas  no  check  to  the  ferocious  Attila.  In  a few 


8 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


years  he  had  pushed  south  to  Constantinople,  behind  the 
walls  of  which  Theodosius  and  his  unwarlike  court  took 
refuge.  They  were  at  his  mercy,  and  soon  the  yearly  trib- 
ute was  doubled.  Many  hundred  thousands  in  gold  was 
also  handed  the  Huns  in  settlement  for  past  arrears.  The 
timid  Romans  were  powerless  and  were  incapable  of  stem- 
ming the  advance  of  this  rapacious  conqueror,  who  des- 
troyed more  than  seventy  of  their  cities;  defeated  the 
army  of  the  Roman  Empire  in  three  battles;  laid  waste 
the  country  between  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Adriatic; 
from  the  Danube  to  the  boundaries  of  Greece;  and  re- 
duced the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  to  abject  slavery. 

In  this  dire  extremity  the  Romans  were  nearly  freed  of 
this  fierce  invader  by  the  act  of  one  of  the  court  servants. 
The  Emperor  Theodosius  persuaded  Attila’s  Gothic  Am- 
bassador to  attempt  to  poison  his  employer,  and  he  en- 
deavored to  do  so.  But  the  plan  miscarried,  as  the  assassin 
repented  just  as  he  was  about  to  execute  the  deed.  In 
consequence,  Attila  demanded  a great  sum  of  money  from 
Theodosius,  which  this  weakling  was  afraid  to  refuse  him. 
The  timid  Emperor  did  not  long  survive  this  humiliation. 
His  inglorious  reign  was  soon  brought  to  a termination  by 
a severe  injury  to  his  spine  when  thown  from  his  horse 
in  the  hunting  field. 

Theodosius  was  succeeded  by  his  sister  Pulcheria,  who 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Marcian : a Senator  sixty 
years  of  age ; a good  soldier ; and  a man  of  great  tact  and 
obstinacy.  The  new  Roman  executive  determined  upon 
a different  course  towards  the  Huns  than  had  been  pur- 
sued by  his  predecessor.  He  prepared  for  resistance  and 
for  the  first  time  since  he  had  come  in  contact  with  the 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  9 


effete  Romans,  the  Hunnish  invader  received  a check  to 
his  aggressive  demands.  Attila  had  sent  a retinue  to  the 
Roman  court  and  with  his  usual  effrontery  had  instructed 
his  ambassador  to  say,  “ Attila,  my  lord  and  thy  lord, 
commands  thee,  Marcian,  to  provide  a palace  for  his  im- 
mediate reception.”  But  this  demand  was  met  with  the 
reply  that  no  longer  could  his  Majesty  at  Rome  be  in- 
sulted with  the  mention  of  a tribute,  that  the  Roman 
Emperor  would  reward  the  faithful  friendship  of  the  Allies 
with  becoming  liberality,  but  if  the  Huns  insisted  upon 
their  unjust  demands  for  gold,  they  would  be  repelled  by 
all  the  force  of  arms  which  the  Empire  could  muster. 

Attila  received  this  answer  with  insolent  contempt.  He 
affected  to  despise  these  Romans  of  the  East  who  had  so 
often  been  put  to  rout  before  his  onslaught,  and  he  de- 
clared, with  much  braggadocio,  that  he  would  suspend 
the  easy  defeat  of  Marcian’s  people  until  he  had  made  a 
more  important  conquest.  This  was  the  subjection  of 
Gaul,  which  lay  to  the  West,  and  is  now  known  as  France. 
He  had  determined  to  conquer  it  and  even  desired  to 
ravage  Italy  itself,  for  the  Eluns  were  attracted  to  this 
sunny  land  by  the  great  wealth  of  the  cities  and  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soil.  The  province  which  he  was  about  to 
overrun  was  a Roman  dependency. 

Although  the  brave  Marcian,  who  was  at  Constanti- 
nople, was  called  Emperor  of  the  Eastern  Roman  Empire, 
the  real  Emperor  of  the  Romans  was  Valentinian,  who  lived 
in  Rome.  Before  his  attack  upon  Gaul,  Attila  made  a 
formal  demand  for  this  ruler’s  sister,  Honoria,  stating  that 
he  would  not  advance  upon  the  Roman  province  if  she  were 
presented  to  him.  A curt  and  dignified  refusal  was,  of 


10 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


course,  given  to  this  outrageous  request.  So,  in  A.  D.  451 
Attila  gave  orders  for  the  vast  horde  of  barbaric  Huns  to 
sweep  down  upon  the  hapless  cities  and  towns  of  Gaul. 
From  his  royal  village  on  the  plains  of  Hungary  and  wdth 
seven  hundred  thousand  marauders,  mounted  upon  their 
shaggy  ponies  and  followed  by  their  wives  and  children  in 
ox  carts,  he  marched  eight  hundred  miles  to  the  conflux  of 
the  Rhine  and  the  Necker.  Here  his  force  was  joined 
by  the  Frankish  army,  which  much  increased  its  fighting 
strength.  Making  a bridge  of  boats,  the  mighty  host 
swept,  like  a huge  bird  of  prey,  upon  the  Gallic  provinces. 
Cities  were  razed  to  the  ground.  Citizens,  priests,  women, 
and  infants  were  put  to  massacre.  Fire  and  sword  accom- 
plished an  awful  butchery. 

From  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle,  this  veritable  Scourge 
of  God  advanced  into  the  heart  of  Gaul,  and,  after  a long 
and  tedious  march,  the  Hunnish  invaders  came  before  the 
walls  of  Orleans  on  the  River  Loire.  But  here  the  tide  of 
advancing  butchery  wras  to  be  turned.  Terrified  at  this 
atrocious  march,  the  Visigoths  and  Romans  united  to  stem 
the  advance  of  the  enemy.  Aetius,  with  the  Roman  legions 
of  Gaul,  and  Theodoric,  with  the  Gothic  host,  joined  two 
mighty  armies  below  the  Loire  and  speedily  advanced  to 
the  relief  of  the  beleaguered  town.  Attila  feared  to  fight 
them  where  he  was,  and  retreated  before  the  courageous 
defenders  of  the  province  until  he  was  behind  the  river 
Seine. 

It  was  in  the  early  days  of  July  that  the  two  antagonistic 
forces,  at  length,  came  together.  The  van  of  the  advancing 
Goths  and  Romans  had  seriously  harassed  the  rear  of  the 
retreating  Huns,  and,  angry  at  the  turn  which  affairs  had 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  11 


taken,  Attila  determined  to  give  battle.  Near  the  city  of 
Chalons  are  vast,  rolling  plains  called  the  Catalaunian 
fields,  and  here  he  drew  up  his  Barbarians  in  battle  array. 
The  Romans  and  Goths  had  caught  up  with  him,  deter- 
mined to  beat  off  this  horrible  adversary  and  revenge  the 
inhabitants  of  Gaul  who  had  suffered  from  his  atrocious 
march.  What  a picture  it  must  have  been  to  see  these 
great  armies  confronting  one  another ! Here  were  the 
horsemen  of  Attila,  clad  in  mouse  skins,  knit  together,  and 
in  hides  of  wolves  and  foxes.  They  were  armed  with  lances 
and  long,  cruel  swords,  and  seated  firmly  upon  their  half- 
tamed  horses,  eagerly  awaited  the  conflict,  while  Attila,  in 
the  centre,  with  courageous  voice  and  haughty  gestures, 
urged  on  the  attack.  Aetius,with  the  Roman  Legions,  was 
on  the  left  of  the  line  opposed  to  the  Huns,  and  Theodoric, 
king  of  the  Visigoths,  was  upon  the  right.  In  the  centre 
were  the  solid  Roman  phalanxes  of  veterans.  The  nations 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Volga  were  opposed  to  each  other 
in  one  great  struggle  for  race  supremacy. 

Before  the  battle  began,  Attila  (as  is  the  custom  of  Bar- 
barians) consulted  the  augurs  about  the  outcome.  He 
distrusted  his  own  powers  against  such  a strong  adversary 
and  secretly  considered  the  expediency  of  flight.  The 
priests  of  the  augury  first  slaughtered  some  sheep,  and,  after 
a deliberate  consultation  and  pondering  over  a number  of 
the  veins  in  some  of  the  scraped  bones,  gave  forth  this  de- 
cree, “ 111  fortune  to  the  Huns.  They  will  be  defeated,  but 
the  chief  leader  of  the  opposite  side  shall  fall  in  the  midst 
of  victory,  and  so  the  triumph  of  his  followers  shall  be 
turned  to  sorrow.” 

This  pleased  Attila  more  than  one  would  expect,  for  he 


12  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


supposed  Aetius  to  be  the  chief  leader  of  the  enemy,  and 
his  death  seemed  to  be  well  worth  purchasing,  even  if  his 
own  army  should  be  defeated.  But  he  was  naturally  most 
anxious  over  the  outcome,  and,  being  a man  of  fore- 
thought in  military  matter,  set  the  hour  for  fighting  at 
about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day  (3  P.  m.).  So,  if  the  tide 
of  conflict  turned  too  seriously  against  him,  the  fall  of  night 
would  put  an  end  to  the  enemy’s  attack. 

The  battle  began  with  fury,  and  soon  the  troops  were 
struggling  for  the  possession  of  some  rising  ground.  Attila 
had  directed  his  men  to  gain  the  top  of  this  hillock,  but, 
foreseeing  the  danger  of  their  own  formation,  Thorismund, 
the  son  of  the  Gothic  leader ; and  Aetius,  from  an  opposite 
side ; fiercely  struggled  for  its  possession. 

The  fight  was  short  and  bloody.  Soon  the  allies  had 
conquered,  and,  from  the  summit  of  the  hill,  easily  threw 
into  confusion  the  advancing  Huns  as  they  rushed  forward 
to  a renewed  attack.  Attila  saw  that  his  followers  had  been 
worsted  in  this  skirmish,  and  thought  that  it  was  time  for 
an  address.  In  a short  speech,  he  endeavoured  to  bolster 
up  their  courage,  and,  after  paying  a tribute  to  their  great 
valour  as  soldiers,  said  that  they  were  to  go  forward  with 
cheerfulness  and  attack  the  enemy,  since,  “ they  who 
struck  the  first  blow,  had  the  boldest  hearts.”  He  told  his 
men  to  despise  the  jarring  nationalities  leagued  against 
them.  He  advised  them  to  concentrate  the  attack  on  the 
Alani,  in  the  centre  of  the  opposing  forces,  and  concluded 
with  the  stirring  words,  “ O ye  Huns,  raise  your  hearts 
battle  high  and  let  your  wonted  fury  swell  your  veins. 
Now  put  forth  all  your  cunning.  Now  use  all  your  arms. 
Let  him  who  is  wounded  seek  still  for  at  least  one  enemy’s 


CHARGE  OF  AT  FI  LA  AND  HIS  HUNS 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  13 


death,  let  him  who  is  unhurt  revel  in  the  slaughter  of  the 
foe.  Him  who  is  fated  to  conquer,  no  dart  will  touch,  him 
who  is  doomed  to  die,  fate  will  find  in  the  midst  of  a sloth- 
ful peace.  I shall  be  the  first  to  hurl  my  weapon  against 
the  enemy,  and,  if  anyone  can  linger  inactive  when  Attila 
fights,  he  is  a thing  without  a soul  and  ought  to  be  buried 
out  of  hand.”  The  hearts  of  his  followers  were  so  warmed 
by  this  fiery  address  that  they  gained  renewed  courage  and 
rushed  with  a loud  shout  upon  the  successful  enemy. 

The  Huns  penetrated  the  centre  of  the  opposing  line, 
and,  beating  the  Alani  to  earth,  concentrated  their  attack 
upon  the  Visigoths.  It  was  a hand-to-hand  fight  of  tre- 
mendous fierceness.  Antiquity,  with  all  its  stories  of 
bloody  battles,  has  nothing  to  parallel  this  savage  clash  of 
arms  at  Chalons-  The  waters  of  the  streams  which  coursed 
peacefully  over  the  plain  ran  red  with  blood.  Valiantly 
the  Visigoths  rallied  to  the  defence  of  their  line,  and  King 
Theodoric,  while  galloping  back  and  forth  to  command 
and  cheer  his  men,  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and  trampled 
to  death  under  the  feet  of  his  own  soldiers.  This  was  the 
event  of  which  the  augurs  had  told,  but  it  was  not  Aetius, 
the  Roman,  who  had  fallen,  as  Attila  had  expected,  for  that 
General  was  busily  leading  the  attack  upon  the  flank  and 
rear  of  the  Hunnish  army. 

The  tide  of  battle  now  began  to  turn.  The  Huns  were 
forced  from  their  advanced  position,  and  Attila,  himself, 
was  nearly  captured.  He  prudently  fled  behind  the  de- 
fences of  his  own  camp,  while  Thorismund  — son  of  the 
dead  Theodoric  — rushed  forward  with  his  valorous 
Visigoths,  and  bore  so  fiercely  on  the  Hunnish  line,  that  all 
were  driven  back  to  the  ring  of  wagons  which  they  had 


14 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


placed  about  their  camp.  The  allies  were  afraid  to  follow, 
and  so  the  battle  ended.  Over  one  hundred  thousand  lay 
dead  upon  the  plain.  The  once  peaceful  Catalaunian 
fields  were  covered  with  mutilated  corpses. 

To  the  Huns  the  outlook  was  certainly  not  favourable, 
and  capitulation  stared  them  in  the  face.  Fearing  this, 
Attila  collected  the  saddles  and  furniture  of  the  cavalry  in 
a great  funeral  pyre,  determined,  if  his  intrenchments 
should  be  forced,  to  set  fire  to  the  mass  of  wood  and  perish 
in  the  flames,  rather  than  suffer  the  humiliation  of  capture. 
But  the  victory  was  not  pressed.  Fearful,  perhaps,  that  a 
complete  rout  of  the  barbaric  host,  meant  Gothic  dominion 
in  the  Roman  province  of  Gaul,  Aetius  did  not  wish  to 
renew  the  assault.  He  left  Attila  alone  and  so  the  great 
Hunnish  army  slowly  retreated  from  whence  it  had  come, 
across  a country  stripped  of  everything  of  value;  devas- 
tated of  homes  and  crops  - — almost  a wilderness  — for 
Attila  had  boasted  that  the  grass  never  grew  where  his 
horse’s  feet  had  trot. 

Although  thwarted  in  his  designs  of  conquering  Gaul, 
Attila  was  now  determined  to  enforce  his  claim  to  the  hand 
of  Honoria  by  invading  Italy.  He  was  angry  with  Val- 
entinian,  as  an  additional  demand  for  the  Princess  and  her 
treasures  had  had  no  effect  upon  the  Roman  Emperor.  So 
the  Barbarian  again  set  his  invaders  in  motion  and  entered 
Italy  from  the  North  with  an  innumerable  host.  He  met 
with  slight  resistance,  as  the  Alani  and  Goths,  who  had 
rallied  to  the  defence  of  Gaul,  would  not  again  join  to  give 
him  battle.  A great  outpost  of  the  Roman  Empire  — the 
populous  city  of  Aquilea  — was  the  first  to  fall  before  the 
wrath  of  the  Hun.  After  a nine  months’  siege,  it  was  re- 


ATTILA,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  GOD  15 


duced  to  ruins  and  its  inhabitants  were  massacred.  Many 
other  beautiful  cities  in  northern  Italy  were  also  destroyed, 
for  Valentinian  made  little  effort  to  defend  this  country. 
When,  at  last,  Attila  proposed  to  march  against  Rome 
itself,  the  timid  Emperor  and  the  Senate  resolved  that  if 
they  could  not  fight  at  least  they  could  sue  for  peace. 

So  an  embassy  was  sent  to  the  Hunnish  camp  in  the  en- 
deavour to  dissuade  the  invaders  from  further  conquest. 
Among  the  ambassadors  was  Pope  Leo  I,  who,  when  intro- 
duced to  Attila,  seemed  to  have  more  influence  with  him 
than  had  any  other  Roman.  He  was  listened  to  with  favour- 
able, and  even  respectful,  attention ; for  not  only  must  the 
Barbarian  have  been  greatly  impressed  by  the  logic  and 
majesty  of  the  Roman  ecclesiast,  but  he  must  have  been 
also  influenced  by  the  softened  spirit  of  his  followers. 
As  a matter  of  fact,  the  warlike  passions  of  the  Plunnish 
soldiers  had  been  much  relaxed  by  the  indolence  of  the 
warm,  Italian  climate.  These  wild  savages  of  the  North, 
accustomed  as  they  were  to  a diet  of  of  raw  flesh  and  milk, 
had  indulged  so  deeply  in  wine  and  in  cooked  meat,  that 
their  valour  was  far  less  keen  than  before,  and  their  bodies 
had  become  weakened  by  self-indulgence  and  disease. 
Attila  realized  this,  and  so  determined  to  retreat  to  the 
North  after  he  had  secured  as  much  money  as  he  could 
from  the  frightened  Romans.  He  demanded  an  immense 
ransom  as  the  price  of  peace,  and  swore  that  he  would 
return  — more  terrible  than  ever  before  — if  the  Princess 
Honoria  were  not  delivered  to  him  after  a short  time.  This 
first  demand  was  acceded  to,  but  the  second  was  refused 
with  scorn. 

Attila  retreated  north,  and,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  desire 


16  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


to  marry  Honoria,  — - determined  to  add  a beautiful  maid 
(Ildico  by  name)  to  the  family  of  his  innumerable  wives. 
At  his  wooden  palace  beyond  the  Danube,  the  marriage 
was  celebrated  with  barbaric  pomp  and  magnificence. 
There  was  much  feasting  and  drinking  by  all.  Attila,  him- 
self, departed  from  his  usual  habits  of  temperance,  and 
only  retired  upon  his  wedding-night  after  he  had  drained 
many  goblets  of  sparkling  wine.  Next  morning  he  was 
found  insensible  upon  his  couch,  for  a blood  vessel  had 
ruptured  in  his  mouth  during  a deep  sleep,  and  the  suffo- 
cation that  had  ensued  had  caused  instantaneous  death. 
His  remains  were  immediately  enclosed  in  three  coffins,  — 
of  gold,  of  silver,  and  of  iron.  Rich  treasures  were  thrown 
into  his  grave  — when  buried  next  day  — and,  as  is  the 
custom  of  barbarians,  the  captives  who  were  forced  to  dig 
the  trench  were  afterwards  put  to  death. 

So  died  Attila,  the  first  great  leader  of  cavalry  of  whom 
the  world  has  accurate  knowledge.  He  was  rightly  named, 
‘ The  Scourge  of  God,”  for  no  man  ever  waged  more 
ruthless  and  indiscriminate  slaughter  upon  defenceless 
people,  than  he.  At  his  death  Europe  and  all  Asia  were 
delivered  from  the  terror  of  massacre  and  invasion,  and  the 
wild  riders  of  the  northern  plains  had  lost  the  only  leader 
who  has  ever  led  the  race  to  European  conquest. 

The  Huns  soon  drifted  back  to  the  plains  of  Central  Asia 
from  which  they  had  come,  and  from  warriors  and  con- 
querors they  returned  to  their  nomadic  lives  as  huntsmen 
and  shepherds.  Their  glory  was  to  pass  into  history. 


SALADIN,  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT 


SALADIN : THE  GREAT  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT 
[a.  d.  1137  — 1193] 


DURING  the  period  of  the  Crusades  — about  the 
year  of  1137  — there  are  two  great  characters 
which  stand  out  far  above  the  rest  of  the  famous 
Frenchmen,  Englishmen,  Arabs,  Turks,  and  Egyptians, 
who  battled  for  the  possession  of  Jerusalem.  One  was 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  or  the  lion  hearted : King  of 
England  and  leader  of  a mighty  host  which  swept  over 
the  plains  of  Palestine  and  endeavoured  to  wrest  the 
Holy  City  from  the  Mohammedans.  The  other  was  Sal- 
adin  : Sultan  of  Egypt  and  one  of  the  most  skilled  and  able 
fighters,  and  leaders  of  cavalry,  that  the  world  has  ever 
known.  Among  the  Arabs  there  was  an  inborn  spirit  of 
chivalry,  jusTas  there  was  among  the  English.  TheTchiv- 
alrous  Christian  Knights  who  invaded  Asia  and  Palestine, 
at  this  time,  found  a similar  Mohammedan  chivalry. 
Saladin  is  admitted  by  all  to  have  surpassed  the  King  of 
England  in  the  true  virtue  of  chivalry  — bravery,  devotion 
to  his  religious  beliefs,  and  generosity  to  the  weak  and  to 
the  fallen. 

The  great  Sultan  of  Egypt  was  born  in  a castle  on  the 
Tigris  river  in  Syria  where  his  father  was  governor  of  a 
province.  He  was  not  a particularly  brilliant  youth  and 
was  fond  of  wine  and  gaming,  but  he  reformed  his  conduct 

17 


18  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


when  he  grew  older  and  became  a model  of  honesty,  cour- 
age and  patriotism.  His  name  was  Yussuf,  or  Joseph,  to 
which  his  family  added  Salah-ed-Din,  meaning  Safety  of 
the  Faith.  Later  on  he  assumed  the  title  of  Malek-en- 
Nasir,  meaning  Victorious  King. 

As  a little  boy  the  future  leader  of  the  Egyptian  armies 
was  taught  to  ride,  shoot,  and  throw  the  javelin.  He  was 
taken  upon  hunting  expeditions;  was  accustomed  to  the 
chase;  to  rapid  riding;  and  was  given  a position  in  the 
army.  Here  he  served  under  his  father  and  under  his 
uncle,  whom  he  accompanied  upon  an  expedition  into 
Egypt  against  a certain  Vizier  who  was  at  war  with  his  own 
people.  In  this  campaign  the  great  city  of  Alexandria  was 
captured  and  young  Saladin  was  thought  so  highly  of  that 
he  was  left  in  charge  of  a garrison  to  defend  the  place 
against  future  attacks.  This  came  very  shortly  from  a 
party  of  Crusaders,  but  they  had  to  withdraw  after  a long 
and  weary  siege.  The  youthful  Saladin  had  won  his  first 
honours  as  a warrior. 

So  worthy  a person  was  he  considered  to  be  at  this  time 
that  he  was  made  Vizier,  or  Governor  of  Egypt,  by  the 
Egyptian  monarch,  Noor-ed-Deen,  who  claimed  to  hold 
possession  of  this  fertile  country.  But  Noor-ed-Deen  was 
a harsh  fellow  who  wished  to  make  his  general  obey  him 
explicitly,  and,  as  Saladin  had  a high  and  imperious 
spirit,  he  refused  to  follow  the  orders  of  his  sovereign.  So 
strong  was  he,  indeed,  that  this  Monarch  was  afraid  to 
enforce  his  obedience,  and  so  Saladin  governed  in  peace 
and  quietude,  until  the  death  of  Noor-ed-Deen.  Then  the 
ambitious  Saladin  assumed  the  sovereign  power  and  de- 
clared himself  ruler  of  all  of  Southern  Syria. 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  19 


The  Christians,  of  Europe,  held  possession  of  Palestine, 
at  this  time,  with  their  capital  at  Jerusalem,  the  home  of 
Christ,  from  whom  their  religion  took  its  source.  Baldwin, 
the  Leper,  was  in  command  of  the  troops  stationed  there 
to  hold  the  city  against  invasion,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  aggressive  movements  of  Saladin  brought  him  into 
contact  with  the  white  soldiers  from  far  distant  Europe. 
The  Mohammedans  advanced  against  the  city,  confident 
that  they  could  carry  it  by  assault.  But,  in  this  they  were 
sadly  mistaken.  Baldwin,  the  Leper,  marched  to  meet  the 
invading  army  and  fought  such  a spirited  battle  with  the 
followers  of  Saladin,  that  they  were  completely  defeated. 
The  great  Cavalryman,  himself,  was  nearly  killed  in  the 
fray,  and  fled  from  the  field  upon  the  back  of  a dromedary, 
after  his  horse  had  been  shot  beneath  him.  His  army  was 
almost  totally  destroyed,  which  was  a sore  loss  for  the 
ambitious  Mohammedan  and  made  him  vow  vengeance 
against  these  white  people  of  the  North. 

Saladin  retired  to  his  own  country,  incensed  against  the 
foe,  and  determined  to  drive  the  Christians  from  Palestine 
so  as  to  recover  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  also  angry 
at  the  manner  in  which  a rough  and  warlike  Frenchman, 
called  Arnaud  de  Chatillon,  had  behaved  on  the  borders  of 
Arabia.  This  foreigner  had  attacked  a caravan  of  pil- 
grims travelling  to  Mecca  — the  sacred  town  of  those  of 
the  Mohammedan  religion  — and  had  massacred  a large 
number  of  his  friends  and  kinsmen,  while  making  captives 
of  those  that  remained  alive.  As  there  was  an  understand- 
ing between  the  Christians  and  Mohammedans  that  pil- 
grims should  be  allowed  to  go  unmolested  between  their 
lines,  this  was  a breach  of  the  law,  and  such  a severe  one 


20  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


that  Saladin  vowed  to  have  revenge  upon  the  Christian 
host.  So,  at  the  head  of  a large  body  of  both  cavalry  and 
infantry,  the  great  Sultan  advanced  into  the  country  held 
by  those  of  the  opposite  faith.  His  clouds  of  horsemen 
swept  over  the  fields  like  a flight  of  locusts.  They  carried 
all  before  them  and,  at  last,  met  the  army  of  the  Christians 
upon  the  plain  of  Tiberias.  A savage  and  stubborn  fight 
occurred  which  lasted  from  dawn  until  dark,  and,  as  the 
light  of  day  began  to  fade  away,  victory  perched  upon  the 
banner  of  the  wild  riders  from  the  Syrian  deserts.  The 
Christian  King  of  Jerusalem  was  a prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  the  Mohammedans,  as  was  also  Arnaud  de  Chatillon, 
who  had  broken  the  truce,  for  a safe  passage  of  pilgrims; 
and  against  whom  Saladin  had  sworn  to  be  revenged.  He 
was  brought  before  the  Sultan,  placed  with  his  neck  upon 
a wooden  block,  and,  with  his  own  hand,  the  victorious 
General  cut  his  head  from  his  body.  The  plain  about  was 
covered  with  the  dead,  the  banners,  stained  and  bloody, 
lay  trampled  under  foot,  and  the  bodies  of  the  slain  were 
piled  up  like  heaps  of  stones,  as  the  great  Sultan  made  good 
his  furious  oath.  The  desolation  and  wildness  of  the  scene 
spread  terror  to  the  hearts  of  all  the  Christian  host. 

Four  days  after  this  great  victory  Saladin  captured  a 
second  Christian  city;  then  he  besieged  and  captured 
Ascalon.  Finally  he  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem,  where  many 
Christian  families  had  taken  refuge  after  they  had  been 
driven  from  their  own  homes  by  the  ravages  of  the 
wild  horsemen  under  Saladin.  When  the  great  Sultan 
reached  the  defences,  he  sent  for  the  principal  inhabitants 
and  said  to  them,  “ I know  as  well  as  you  that  Jerusalem 
is  the  house  of  God  and  I will  not  assault  the  walls  if  I 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  21 


can  get  the  city  by  peace  and  love.  I will  give  you  30,000 
byzants  of  gold  if  you  promise  me  Jerusalem,  and  you  shall 
have  liberty  to  go  where  you  will  and  do  your  tillage,  to  a 
distance  of  five  miles  from  the  city.  Furthermore,  I will 
have  you  supplied  with  a plenty  of  provisions.  You  may 
have  a truce  from  now  to  Whitsuntide,  and  when  this  time 
comes,  if  you  see  that  you  have  aid,  then  hold  on.  But  if 
not,  you  shall  give  up  the  city  and  I will  have  you  conveyed 
in  safety  to  Christian  territory;  yourselves  and  all  your 
property.” 

But  to  this  offer  the  envoys  would  not  consent. 

“ We  will  not  yield  up  our  city  where  died  our  God,” 
they  said,  “ and  still  less  will  we  sell  it  to  you.” 

The  siege  therefore  began  and  lasted  for  two  weeks, 
when  the  inhabitants  saw  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
keep  out  the  invaders.  So  they  sent  an  old  Knight  to 
parley  with  Saladin,  who  said  to  the  great  Sultan,  “ Pray 
give  us  the  terms  which  you  first  offered  us,  good  Sultan, 
and  which  we  first  rejected,  for  we  now  wish  to  make  use 
of  them.” 

The  crafty  Saladin  laughed  at  this,  and  pointed  to  his 
own  banner  flying  victoriously  from  several  battlements. 
“ It  is  now  too  late,”  he  answered.  “ You  surely  see  that 
the  city  is  mine.” 

“ Alas,  we  do  see  it,”  replied  the  Knight,  “ but  we  will 
ourselves  destroy  our  city  rather  than  have  it  fall  into  your 
hands.  And  when  it  is  nothing  but  a heap  of  ruins  we  will 
sally  forth  with  sword  and  fire,  and  not  one  of  us  will  go  to 
Paradise  without  sending  ten  Mussulmen  to  hell.” 

Saladin  was  much  pleased  with  the  reply,  as  he  respected 
a brave  enemy,  and,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  have  the  de- 


22 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


struction  of  Jerusalem  connected  with  his  name,  he  con- 
sented to  the  terms  of  capitulation  demanded  by  the  Chris- 
tian Knights.  All  Christians  had  to  leave  the  city  within 
four  days,  and  the  fighting  men  were  allowed  to  go  to  Tyre, 
a city  of  some  importance  in  the  hands  of  the  Christians. 

When  the  day  for  leaving  came,  all  the  gates  of  the  city 
were  closed  except  one  — the  gate  of  Daird.  Through 
this  the  people  sadly  filed  away  while  Saladin  sat  upon  a 
high  throne,  and,  with  much  apparent  delight,  saw  the 
people  pass  before  him.  First  came  the  old  men ; then  the 
clergy  — much  overcome  with  their  grief ; and  carrying 
the  sacred  vessels  and  ornaments  of  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre.  Then  walked  the  Queen  of  Jerusalem 
who  had  remained  in  the  city  while  her  husband  was  a 
prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans.  Saladin 
spoke  to  her  with  much  kindness  and  saluted  her  with 
respect,  for  he  was  too  great  a man  to  take  pleasure  in  the 
humiliation  of  a noble  personage.  At  last  all  of  the  Chris- 
tian host  had  gone  by  and  the  doors  were  closed.  A great 
shout  of  triumph  followed  the  retreating  forms  of  those 
of  the  opposite  faith. 

When  the  news  of  this  disaster  reached  Europe,  all 
were  afflicted  with  feelings  of  shame,  anger,  and  grief,  for 
the  capture  of  Jerusalem  meant  that  the  sepulchre  of  Jesus 
Christ  had  fallen  again  into  the  hands  of  the  infidels,  and 
the  city  which  had  been  greatly  improved  by  Christian 
labour,  was  now  the  seat  of  the  Mohammedan  government. 
The  pride  of  the  Christians  was  deeply  wounded,  for  their 
vanity  had  been  sadly  smirched.  Immediately  the  King 
of  England,  of  France,  and  several  princes  of  European 
monarchies  took  up  the  Cross  and  prepared  expeditions 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  23 


to  penetrate  into  the  Holy  Land  and  recapture  the  sacred 
city.  Soon  great  armies  were  in  motion  and  a tremendous 
struggle  for  the  possession  of  Palestine  went  on  between 
the  great  Saladin  and  the  flower  of  European  knighthood 
and  chivalry. 

Saladin’s  unwavering  passion  was  the  expulsion  of  the 
Christians  from  the  Holy  Land  and  he  believed  in  bending 
every  effort  for  this  end.  “ Behold  these  Christians  ! ” he 
said.  “ How  they  are  crowding  in  ! How  emulously  they 
press  on ! They  are  continually  receiving  fresh  reinforce- 
ments more  numerous  than  the  waves  of  the  sea  and  more 
bitter  to  us  than  brackish  waters.  Where  one  dies  by  land, 
a thousand  come  by  sea.  The  crop  is  more  abundant  than 
the  harvest ; the  tree  puts  out  more  branches  than  the  axe 
can  lop  off.  It  is  true  that  great  numbers  have  already 
perished,  so  that  our  swords  are  blunted ; but  we  must 
gird  up  our  loins  and  implore  the  help  of  the  Lord.” 

He  was  as  keen  in  the  defence  and  worship  of  his  own 
religion  as  the  Christians  were  in  theirs,  and  when  he  heard 
that  a certain  French  Knight  had  nearly  succeeded  in  an 
attempt  to  pillage  the  tomb  of  Mahomet,  he  wrote  to  his 
brother,  “ The  infidels  have  violated  the  home  and  the 
cradle  of  our  religion,  they  have  profaned  our  Sanctuary. 
Let  us  therefore  purge  our  land  from  these  men  who  dis- 
honour it,  let  us  clear  the  very  air  which  they  breathe  ! ” 

The  Sultan  was  also  relentless  to  certain  of  his  enemies 
whom  he  feared,  such  as  the  Hospitallers  of  St.  John,  and 
the  Knights  Templars.  But,  aside  from  this,  he  was  gentle 
towards  the  weak  and  vanquished;  just  to  his  subjects; 
and  capable  of  feeling  admiration  for  those  of  his  enemies 
in  whom  he  saw  superior  qualities  of  courage,  loyalty,  and 


24 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


loftiness  of  mind.  For  this  reason  the  Christians  greatly 
admired  him,  although  they  cordially  hated  his  very  name. 
They  approved  of  his  deeds  of  bravery;  his  courage; 
honesty;  and  patriotism. 

The  city  of  Acre  had  been  captured  by  the  Saracens, 
shortly  after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  against  this  the 
Christians  first  directed  their  attacks.  Saladin,  himself, 
was  not  in  the  ramparts  when  its  siege  was  commenced  by 
Philip,  King  of  France,  but  he  kept  his  horsemen  around 
the  flanks  of  the  Christian  army,  and  avoided  his  enemies 
as  much  as  he  was  able.  The  King  of  France  was  received 
with  supreme  joy  by  the  troops,  when  he  arrived  before  the 
walls  of  Acre,  “ as  if  he  were  an  angel  come  from  heaven ; ” 
and  he  vigorously  pushed  the  siege.  Many  assaults  were 
made  upon  the  works.  “ The  tumultuous  waves  of  the 
French,  rolled  towards  the  walls  of  the  city  with  the  rapidity 
of  a torrent;  and  the  soldiers  climbed  the  half-ruined 
battlements  as  wild  goats  climb  precipitous  rocks ; 
while  the  Saracens  threw  themselves  upon  the  besiegers 
like  stones  unloosed  from  the  top  of  a mountain.”  In 
spite  of  the  gallant  defence  of  the  Garrison,  who  fought 
like  a mother  wolf  defending  her  cubs,  Acre  was  finally 
surrendered  and  sixteen  hundred  prisoners  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Christians. 

Richard  the  Lion  Hearted  had  joined  the  Christian  host 
during  the  progress  of  the  siege  and  discord  soon  arose 
between  him  and  the  King  of  France.  It  increased  as  the 
fight  proceeded.  Finally,  when  the  French  wished  to  make 
an  assault,  King  Richard  remained  in  his  tent  and  would 
not  allow  his  men  to  join  in  the  affair.  It  is  stated  that 
Saladin  sent  grapes  and  pears  to  him  from  Damascus,  be- 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  25 


cause  of  his  high  regard  for  his  valour,  and  this  did  not 
please  King  Philip.  It  was  rumoured  that  the  Frenchman 
was  jealous  of  the  Lion  Hearted,  and  that  the  latter,  in 
turn,  disliked  the  fact  that  he  had  to  share  the  supreme 
command  with  another.  At  any  rate,  King  Philip  soon 
sailed  away  for  France,  and  the  struggle  for  Jerusalem  was 
left  to  the  hands  of  the  English  sovereign. 

Five  weeks  after  the  surrender  of  Acre,  the  new  com- 
mander of  the  Crusaders  found  that  Saladin  was  not  ful- 
filling the  conditions  of  the  capitulation  with  the  speed 
which,  he  thought,  it  required.  Consequently  he  put  five 
hundred  Mohammedan  prisoners  to  death.  The  effect  of 
this  massacre  was  a bad  one,  for  to  retaliate,  Saladin  put 
to  the  sword  all  the  Christians  whom  he  took  in  battle,  or 
caught  straggling  from  the  lines,  and  ordered  them  to  be 
left  without  burial.  Seeing  that  he  had  made  a grievous 
error,  and,  in  the  endeavour  to  patch  up  a peace  with  Sal- 
adin, Richard  now  offered  to  end  the  struggle  by  uniting 
his  sister  in  marriage  with  the  son  of  the  Sultan.  But 
nothing  came  of  this,  save  that  while  negotiations  were 
in  progress,  the  Mohammedan  made  stronger  the  defences 
of  Jerusalem.  Besides,  the  Christian  Bishops  and  Clergy 
uttered  the  fiercest  threats  against  the  King  of  England 
for  daring  to  suggest  such  an  ill-assorted  match  of  persons 
of  unlike  religious  beliefs. 

Richard  was  impatient  to  begin  his  march,  so  he  left 
Acre  and  encamped  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  his  soldiers 
still  loitered  in  the  city.  Finally  the  clergy  had,  by  vigorous 
preaching,  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  the  Crusaders  to  their 
former  enthusiasm,  and  had  painted  the  sad  captivity  of 
Jerusalem  in  such  sombre  colours,  that  the  troops  joined 


26  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


the  Lion  Hearted  Monarch  and  commenced  the  march 
towards  Jerusalem.  It  was  eighty  miles  to  the  Holy  City. 
Saladin,  who  had  been  greatly  reinforced  with  both  horse 
and  foot,  harassed  the  march  at  every  turn  and  camped  in 
sight  of  the  invaders,  every  night.  Richard  had  divided 
his  force  into  five  divisions,  while  a great  iron  car  was  in  the 
centre  of  the  mass  of  men.  This  ran  upon  four  wheels; 
was  sheathed  with  iron  plates ; and  had  a flag  of  the  Holy 
War  suspended  from  a high  pole,  nailed  to  the  fore-part. 
Should  the  army  retreat,  this  was  the  rallying  point,  and 
during  an  engagement,  such  of  the  wounded  as  could  be 
carried,  were  brought  round  this  great  engine  of  war. 
Every  night,  when  the  army  came  to  a halt,  the  heralds 
cried  aloud,  “ Save  the  Holy  Sepulchre,”  and,  at  this, 
every  soldier  in  the  Christian  host  bent  his  knee,  raised  his 
hands  and  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said,  “ Amen.”  When 
morning  broke  the  troops  would  start  out  with  the  priests 
and  monks  chanting  a psalm,  or  singing  a hymn. 

The  road  was  cut  with  ravines,  gullies,  and  steep  defiles. 
At  every  turn  the  Saracens  disputed  the  advance  and  often 
ambuscaded  small  parties  of  men.  Saladin’s  followers 
carried  a sword,  a dagger,  or  a javelin,  and  a bow  with 
arrows.  Most  were  well  mounted  upon  fleet,  Arabian 
horses  and  they  hovered  about  the  Crusaders  like  a swarm 
of  gnats.  Some  were  armed  with  a club  in  which  were 
sharp,  steel  points  that  could  penetrate  a coat  of  mail  like  a 
bullet.  They  fought  rather  disconnectedly,  but,  in  spite 
of  this,  inflicted  great  damage  upon  the  advancing  host. 
Their  archers  often  hid  themselves  behind  trees,  or  among 
high  reeds,  and  did  great  execution  among  King  Richard’s 
men.  They  were  like  a cloud  of  summer  flies,  which  Sala- 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  27 


din  constantly  urged  forward  to  renewed  efforts  and  deeds 
of  bravery.  He,  himself,  was  everywhere  at  once  and 
exposed  himself  with  such  reckless  daring  that  Richard 
had  the  greatest  admiration  for  him.  The  great  Sultan’s 
spirit  nerved  his  soldiers  to  exploits  of  the  greatest  heroism 
and  courage. 

Thus  the  two  armies  sparred  with  each  other,  marching 
only  three  or  four  miles  a day,  until  Azotus  was  reached. 
Here  the  Sultan  had  collected  two  hundred  thousand  men 
to  oppose  Richard’s  further  advance;  and,  before  the 
fight  began,  swarms  of  Arabs  collected  on  the  flanks  of 
their  foe.  The  battalions  of  the  Crusaders  were  in  such  a 
solid  mass  that  an  apple  thrown  among  them  could  not 
have  reached  the  ground  without  touching  either  a man  or 
a horse,  for  Richard  had  ordered  his  five  divisions  to  come 
close  together  and  to  fight  a purely  defensive  battle.  With 
a wild  and  blood-curdling  cheer,  the  Saracens  charged  the 
army  of  the.  Crusaders  and  were  beaten  off  like  waves  from 
a rocky  shore.  King  Richard’s  mass  of  iron-and-steel-clad 
men  moved  onward  with  the  precision  of  a battle-ship. 
Again  the  Mohammedans  charged  with  greater  force,  but 
again  they  were  repulsed  and  thrown  into  confusion.  At 
this  moment  King  Richard  raised  his  battle  axe  and  the 
compact  mass  of  Knights,  priests  and  soldiers,  broke  into 
five  parts  and  charged  upon  the  light-armed  followers  of 
Saladin.  A furious  fight  ensued,  and,  whenever  his  men 
showed  signs  of  wavering,  there  would  King  Richard  be 
to  urge  them  on  to  renewed  efforts.  Many  thousands  were 
slain ; thirty-two  Saracen  chiefs  were  trampled  underfoot, 
and,  after  being  nearly  captured  himself,  Saladin  gave  the 
order  to  retreat.  His  men  had  fought  well,  but,  with  their 


28  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


light  weapons  and  lack  of  protecting  armour,  they  were  no 
match  for  the  steel-clad  Crusaders. 

After  the  battle,  King  Richard’s  army  advanced  to  the 
City  of  Joppa  and  easily  took  possession  of  this  fortified 
town.  It  was  but  thirty  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and,  as 
the  country  was  full  of  fugitives,  the  lion-hearted  monarch 
was  anxious  to  follow  up  his  advantage,  immediately.  He 
would  have  done  so,  had  his  soldiers  been  as  keen  as  he 
was  himself  to  press  the  attack.  But,  as  many  of  them 
were  worn  out  by  disease  and  by  the  intense  heat,  they 
refused  to  march  further,  saying  that  they  must  remain 
until  the  fortifications  were  restored.  Meanwhile  Saladin 
expected  an  immediate  advance  of  the  Christian  army,  and, 
in  order  to  deprive  the  Christians  of  water,  he  drained  all 
the  cisterns  within,  fivn  mi.lps.nf  Jpru^alprn,  “ Let  us  die 
with  our  weapons  in  our  hands,”  he  said  to  his  men.  “ And 
if  you  all  have  this  resolution  you  will  conquer  the  enemy. 
You  have  not  merely  undertaken  the  defence  of  these 
countries,  but  the  Moslems  of  other  countries  depend  upon 
your  protection.” 

Finally  the  Crusaders  again  began  their  advance  upon 
Jerusalem,  while  their  priests  raised  a chant  of  praise, 
saying,  “ O Lord  ! Thanks  be  unto  thee,  for  the  time  of  the 
deliverance  of  the  Holy  City  is  now  at  hand  ! ” It  was  at 
the  end  of  May  when  the  march  began,  and  by  the  first  of 
June  they  encamped  in  sight  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 
But  Richard  received  news  from  England  that  various 
plots  had  been  formed  against  his  dominions.  He  became 
anxious  to  return  ; his  soldiers  too  became  dissatisfied  with 
the  campaign  and  began  to  quarrel  among  themselves. 
So  a council  was  assembled,  consisting  of  five  Knights  of 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  20 


the  Temple,  five  of  St.  John,  five  Barons  of  France,  and 
five  Christian  Lords  who  had  possessions  in  Palestine. 
After  several  days  of  deliberation  they  decided  to  march 
south  and  besiege  Cairo  — a city  from  which  Saladin  drew 
his  supplies  — and  not  to  attack  Jerusalem. 

But  when  this  counter  march  was  begun,  the  soldiers 
became  unmanageable  and  several  French  and  German 
detachments,  deserted  entirely.  So  King  Richard  fell  back 
upon  Acre  while  Saladin’s  followers  pursued  him  in  vast 
multitudes,  pouring  through  the  passes  in  the  mountains 
of  Judaea  like  raging  torrents  through  a narrow  gorge. 
There  were  five  thousand  Christians  in  the  town  of  Joppa, 
of  which  one-half  were  ill,  and  the  rest  thoroughly  un- 
skilled in  the  use  and  management  of  military  arms. 
Saladin,  with  twenty  thousand  horsemen  and  a great  num- 
ber of  foot,  appeared  before  the  walls  of  the  town  and  sur- 
rounded it.  Before  long  a part  of  the  walls  had  been 
thrown  down,  great  numbers  of  the  defenders  had  been 
killed,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  city  would  surely  be  taken 
by  the  Mohammedans. 

At  this  moment  King  Richard  appeared  with  a host  of 
Crusaders  to  aid  the  gallant  garrison  of  the  town.  He 
came  by  sea,  and  when  he  sailed  into  the  harbour  and  saw 
Saladin’s  standards  on  the  walls,  he  thought  that  he  had 
arrived  too  late  to  save  the  garrison.  But  a priest  jumped 
down  from  the  castle  wall  to  the  beach,  and,  being  unhurt 
by  his  fall,  ran  into  the  sea.  Swimming  to  one  of  the  ships 
he  informed  Richard  of  the  true  state  of  affairs,  and  with- 
out more  ado,  the  Crusaders  rushed  ashore  to  attack  the 
victorious  forces  of  Saladin.  When  the  Mohammedans 
saw  the  banner  of  the  King  of  England,  they  fled.  The 


30  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Knights  pursued  them  for  three  miles,  until,  overcome  bv 
the  heat  and  the  weight  of  their  armour,  they  were  forced 
to  abandon  the  chase. 

Saladin  had  formed  a body  of  three  hundred  Arabs  as  a 
sort  of  scouting  force,  whose  business  was  to  steal  into  the 
camp  of  the  Crusaders  during  the  night  and  to  seize  horses, 
equipment,  or  anything  which  they  could  safely  carry  away 
with  them.  These,  the  great  Sultan  directed  to  attempt 
to  carry  off  the  King  as  he  camped  outside  of  Joppa  with  a 
few  men  in  about  ten  tents.  So  they  advanced  to  a position 
near  the  sleeping  monarch,  one  evening,  fully  prepared  to 
carry  off  the  English  ruler.  But  before  they  could  settle 
among  themselves  who  should  go  on  foot  to  seize  the  King 
and  who  should  remain  behind  to  cut  off  his  retreat  from 
the  town,  day  came  and  a Genoese  Crusader  discovered 
the  glitter  of  their  helmets  on  the  horizon.  He  rushed  into 
King  Richard’s  tent,  crying,  “ O my  King,  we  are  dead 
men.”  “ Thou  diest  by  my  hand  if  thou  art  not  silent,” 
replied  the  English  Monarch,  and' scarcely  had  he  put  on 
his  coat  of  mail,  when  the  followers  of  Saladin,  in  seven 
corps  of  one  thousand  men  each,  were  upon  him. 

With  seventeen  Knights  and  a thousand  other  soldiers 
King  Richard  prepared  to  stem  the  attack.  He  made  an 
animated  speech  to  his  followers,  exhorting  them  to  fight 
with  valour,  and  stating,  with  a solemn  oath,  that  he  would 
strike  off  the  head  of  the  first  man  who  turned  and  fled. 
Hardly  had  he  said  this  when  the  Mohammedans  charged 
with  spirit,  and,  although  attacking  in  close  column,  they 
were  repeatedly  repelled.  For  a long  time  the  fight  was 
kept  up,  until,  at  length  Saladin’s  men  retired,  and  the 


SALADIN:  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  31 


King  of  England  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  a charge  of 
his  own  men.  With  lances  before  them  they  rushed  upon 
the  followers  of  the  great  Sultan,  who,  unable  to  withstand 
the  shock  of  their  savage  advance,  fled  precipitously  back 
to  their  own  camp.  Their  attack  had  been  a complete 
failure. 

Saladin  was  not  pleased  with  the  exhibition  which  his 
own  men  had  made.  He  rebuked  them  sternly  for  their 
cowardice,  for  it  was  said  that  Richard  the  Lion  Hearted 
had  ridden  through  their  ranks  from  right  to  left  without 
any  one  being  bold  enough  to  oppose  him,  and  that  he  had 
calmly  eaten  his  mid-day  meal  on  the  ground  between  the 
two  armies.  But,  appreciating  the  valour  of  the  English 
troops,  the  great  Moslem  soon  forgave  his  men,  invited  the 
emirs,  or  commanders,  to  a banquet,  and  entertained  them 
right  royally.  Meanwhile  his  army  fell  back  towards 
Jerusalem  and  was  soon  joined  by  a corps  from  Egypt 
and  by  other  troops  from  Syria. 

Although  Richard  had  won  a great  victory  his  soldiers 
were  not  fired  by  the  same  zeal  which  he  himself  possessed, 
and  refused  to  advance.  Saladin,  on  the  other  hand,  soon 
came  back  at  the  head  of  his  fresh  consignments  and 
harassed  the  outposts  with  his  cavalry.  In  vain  the  gallant 
King  of  England  endeavoured  to  rouse  his  troops  from  this 
lethargy  — they  refused  to  respond.  So,  despairing  of 
another  victory,  he  endeavoured  to  patch  up  a peace  with 
Saladin,  and,  to  his  surprise,  found  that  this  great  warrior 
was  not  adverse  to  such  an  arrangement,  for  his  men  were 
tired  of  warfare.  After  various  meetings  and  harangues, 
a truce  was  settled  upon  for  three  years,  with  the  provision 


32  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


that  the  country  from  Tyre  to  Joppa,  including  the  cities 
of  Ramla  and  Lidda,  should  belong  to  the  Christians; 
that  all  the  Mohammedan  States,  including  the  princi- 
palities of  Antioch  and  Tiberias,  should  be  included  in  the 
truce;  and  that,  finally,  the  pilgrims  to  Jerusalem  should 
be  free  and  untaxed.  The  departure  of  Richard,  soon 
afterwards,  freed  the  great  Sultan  from  his  most  dangerous 
foe,  but  his  constitution  was  broken  by  the  constant  toil 
to  which  he  had  for  many  years  been  subjected,  and  a 
bilious  fever  which  had  come  upon  him  at  Damascus, 
caused  his  death,  not  many  months  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  on  March  4th,  1192. 

This  eminent  soldier  had  an  ardent  passion  for  this  Holy 
War,  his  mind  was  always  engrossed  with  it.  With  him, 
to  wage  war  in  God’s  name  was  a veritable  passion;  his 
whole  heart  was  filled  with  it ; and  he  gave  his  body  and 
soul  to  the  cause.  He  spoke  of  nothing  else ; all  his  thoughts 
were  of  the  instruments  of  war;  while  his  soldiers 
monopolized  every  idea.  His  desire  to  fight  in  what  he 
thought  to  be  a just  cause  forced  him  to  leave  his  family, 
children,  his  native  land,  and  all  else  that  he  possessed. 
Deserting  all  earthly  enjoyments  he  contented  himself 
with  living  in  a small  tent,  shaken  by  every  wind  of  the 
desert,  and  offering  but  a scant  protection  from  the  ele- 
ments. One  night,  when  on  the  plain  of  Acre,  this  blew 
down  in  a high  wind  and  fell  upon  him,  and  had  he  not 
been  in  the  alcove  (a  small  wooden  chamber  in  the  tents  of 
Mohammedans)  he  would  have  been  instantly  killed.  But 
this  accident,  instead  of  frightening  him,  tended  to  increase 
his  passion  for  war  and  to  strengthen  his  purpose  to  defeat 
the  Crusaders.  Any  one  to  ingratiate  himself  with  the 


SALAD1N : SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  33 


Sultan  had  only  to  narrate  to  him  stories  connected  with 
the  Holy  War. 

The  holy  prophet,  whom  the  Mohammedans  worship, 
is  reported  to  have  said;  “ God  loves  bravery,  even  (if 
displayed)  only  in  killing;  a serpenTT7’  The  Sultan  was 
bravest  among  the  brave  and  was  distinguished  by  energy 
of  soul,  vigour  of  character,  and  intrepid  courage.  He  was 
never  terrified  by  the  sight  of  the  Crusaders,  in  fact,  their 
more  numerous  forces  only  seemed  to  inspire  him  with 
renewed  courage  and  desire  for  battle.  He  frequently  was 
ill  and  suffered  great  pain,  but  always  mounted  his  horse 
and  directed  his  men.  His  reproaches  to  his  followers, 
when  defeated,  often  made  them  rally  about  him.  He  was 
conscientious  about  making  his  daily  devotions  to  God, 
and,  when  travelling,  used  to  get  down  from  his  horse  at 
the  appointed  hours  in  order  to  pray.  At  his  death  his 
private  gifts  and  charities  had  absorbed  everything  so  that 
the  sum  which  he  left  behind  him  was  not  large  enough  to 
pay  his  tax.  The  Great  Sultan  left  neither  houses,  real 
estate,  gardens,  village,  cultivated  land,  or  other  pieces  of 
property. 

During  his  life  he  administered  the  most  rigid  justice  to 
even  the  meanest  of  his  subjects  who  asked  for  redress, 
as  this  example  of  his  generosity  will  show.  After  the  cap- 
ture of  Jerusalem,  when  his  soldiers  wished  to  massacre 
the  Christians,  he  is  said  to  have  remarked,  “ Spill  no  blood, 
for  it  will  one  day  reach  your  own  heads.  Preserve  the 
hearts  of  these  people  with  loving  care,  for  they  are  en- 
trusted to  thee  by  the  will  of  God.”  No  wonder  that  both 
Christians  and  Moslems  accorded  to  him  the  highest  praise 
for  virtue,  modesty,  courage,  honesty,  and  bravery ; virtues 


34  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


which  will  ever  distinguish  those  of  great  mind  and  accom- 
plishment from  those  of  mediocre  ability.  The  death  of 
Sultan  Saladin  deprived  his  race  of  not  only  one  of  their 
greatest  leaders,  but  of  one  of  the  great  men  of  history. 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


GENGHIS  KHAN  : THE  PERFECT  WARRIOR 
[1162  — 1227] 

APART  from  Saladin,  history  bears  no  record  of  a 
cavalry  leader  of  note  until  eight  hundred  years 
after  the  death  of  the  savage  Attila.  Then 
another  chieftain  of  the  Asiatic  plains  arose,  whose  record 
of  conquest  is  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  warlike  Hun. 
This  was  Genghis  Khan,  a Mongolian  savage,  the  events 
of  whose  life  have  been  carefully  preserved  by  several 
Chinese  historians. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  in  personal  appearance,  he  nearly 
resembled  the  fierce  ruler  of  the  Huns.  His  face  was  un- 
doubtedly copper-coloured,  his  eyes  aslant,  as  are  those  of 
the  Chinese,  and  his  hair  shaved  to  form  a queue.  Ap- 
parently he  was  of  great  personal  strength,  for  it  would  be 
impossible  for  a man  who  lacked  bodily  vigour  to  hold  his 
position  among  the  wild  riders  of  the  plains.  His  temper 
was  obstinate  and  his  tastes  were  warlike  and  aggressive. 
For  savage  ferocity  and  inhumanity,  his  disposition  was 
precisely  similar  to  that  of  the  barbarous  Attila. 

In  the  north-central  part  of  Asia,  Genghis  Khan  was 
born  in  the  year  1162.  His  father  was  Yesukai,  chief  of  a 
Mongol  tribe,  and  a man  of  blood  and  iron.  His  mother, 
too,  was  of  noble  birth  and  royal  lineage.  It  so  happened 
that  Yesukai  was  at  war  with  some  neighbouring  tribes 

35 


36  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


when  the  future  warrior  first  saw  the  light  of  day,  and  with 
his  own  good  sword  had  slain  the  leader  Temuchin.  So 
when  he  had  returned  to  his  tent  on  the  banks  of  the  Onon 
River  and  found  that  he  had  been  blessed  with  a son,  he 
named  him  Temuchin,  after  the  opponent  who  had  gone 
down  before  his  mighty  blows.  Little  Temuchin  later 
changed  his  name  to  Genghis  Khan ; Genghis  meaning 
“ perfect  ” and  Khan,  “ king  ” or  “ warrior.”  This  name 
was  not  ill-taken,  for  he  was  to  be  the  most  powerful  mon- 
arch of  all  that  country  and  one  of  the  greatest  campaigners 
with  cavalry  which  the  world  has  ever  known. 

Yesukai  died  when  his  little  son  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  — - too  young  to  have  an  intelligent  idea  of  ruling  his 
rough  people.  Immediately  trouble  was  in  store  for  him, 
for  the  Taijuts  and  other  tribes,  which  were  formerly  allied 
to  his  father,  rebelled.  When,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  little 
Temuchin  attempted  to  win  them  over  to  his  allegiance, 
he  was  met  with  taunts  and  jeers-  The  deepest  wells  are 
sometimes  dry,  and  the  hardest  stone  is  sometimes  broken, 
why  should  we  cling  to  thee  ? ” they  said.  With  this  re- 
mark, they  rode  away  laughing.  But  when  Temuchin’s 
mother  heard  of  this  treatment,  she  was  extremely  angry, 
and  taking  up  her  dead  husband’s  standard,  she  led  her 
troops  against  those  who  had  left.  When  she  came  up  with 
the  fugitives,  she  showed  them  scant  mercy,  and  so,  fully 
one-half  of  the  rebellious  subjects  were  brought  back  be- 
neath the  banner  of  little  Temuchin. 

But  there  were  still  troubles  in  store  for  the  youthful 
ruler.  Another  tribe  that  had  once  been  allied  to  his  father 
also  rebelled.  These  were  people  called  the  Chokes,  and 
they  swore  they  would  put  an  end  to  the  young  stripling  of 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


37 


a despot  before  he  lived  to  manhood.  Their  anger  had 
been  aroused  by  various  depredations  upon  their  herds  by 
Temuchin’s  followers  (rough  fellows  who  were  more  fond 
of  stealing  than  fighting)  and  so  their  leader  marched  to 
attack  young  Temuchin,  then  camping  upon  the  plain 
called  Turpunchowsu.  But  Temuchin  was  not  to  be 
terrorized  by  this  show  of  strength.  Advised  by  his  mother 
to  form  his  army  into  divisions,  he  drew  his  men  up  in 
thirteen  parts  and  confidently  awaited  the  attack  of  the 
enemy.  Soon  they  came  on  and  hurled  themselves  upon 
his  ranks.  A terrific  fight  ensued  in  which  the  curved 
Tartar  bows  and  pointed  lances  were  used  to  good  effect. 
After  a long  and  stubborn  contest,  the  Chokes  were  driven 
from  the  field  in  wild  disorder,  and  little  Temuchin  had  be- 
gun to  earn  the  title  of  Genghis  Khan  : the  perfect  warrior. 

This  successful  battle  gave  him  much  fame  and  prestige 
among  the  rough  tribes  of  the  Asiatic  plains.  His  reputa- 
tion for  courage  and  fairness-of-mind  became  so  wide- 
spread that  many  wild  riders  flocked  to  his  standard  of 
their  own  free  will.  He  was  now  grown  to  manhood,  and, 
although  fiercely  vindictive  against  his  enemies,  was  so  kind 
to  those  who  allied  themselves  with  him,  and  so  generous, 
that  he  was  justly  popular. 

Soon  the  Taijuts  and  several  other  tribes  joined  them- 
selves with  him,  so  that  he  had  a large  army  of  horsemen 
at  his  command.  It  was  not  long  before  he  was  again 
forced  to  use  them  in  a fight ; for  the  Naimans,  a tribe  of 
Turkish  horsemen,  began  to  grow  bold  and  aggressive  on 
the  frontiers  of  his  dominions,  to  the  west.  Genghis  Khan 
dispatched  sixty  envoys  to  a powerful  neighbour,  one  Ser- 
chin  Perke,  demanding  his  aid  and  requesting  that  he  allow 


38  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


him  some  five  hundred  horse  to  assist  in  punishing  the 
Naimans.  But  his  neighbour  refused  his  request,  stating 
that  he  had  enough  for  his  own  men  to  attend  to  at  home. 
To  add  insult  to  injury,  he  put  ten  of  the  envoys  to  death 
and  stripped  the  others  of  their  clothes.  Then  he  sent  them 
back  on  foot,  laughing  derisively  at  their  discomfort  and 
hurling  insults  after  their  retreating  forms. 

When  Genghis  Khan  heard  of  this,  he  was  angry  beyond 
reason.  “ Did  not  Serchin  Perke  flog  my  chamberlain  and 
wound  my  overseer?  ” he  roared.  “ And  now  he  has  fur- 
ther insulted  me  by  stripping  my  poor  emissaries  of  every- 
thing which  they  possessed.  There  shall  be  war,  from 
now  henceforth,  and  Serchin  Perke  shall  rue  the  day  that  he 
dared  to  lay  hands  upon  my  peaceful  followers.”  So  he 
called  together  the  chiefs  of  his  cavalry  divisions,  told  them 
to  collect  his  horsemen,  to  see  that  their  arrows  vrere  well 
pointed  and  their  swords  in  good  condition,  and  to  march 
at  daybreak  against  the  camp  of  Serchin  Perke.  By  morn- 
ing everything  was  ready  for  the  advance.  Genghis  Khan, 
wearing  a long  flowing  robe  and  mounted  upon  a white 
charger,  took  the  lead,  surrounded  by  his  generals.  Be- 
hind, the  coarse  tribesmen  were  divided  into  three  divisions, 
and  these  again  into  subdivisions  of  squadrons.  They  rode 
shaggy  ponies,  tough,  sinewy,  hardy.  Their  bodies  were 
covered  with  skins  and  tanned  hides,  while  here  and  again 
was  a man  with  a corselet  of  steel,  stolen  from  some  dead 
enemy,  who  was  of  a tribe  more  skilled  in  the  mechanical 
arts  than  their  own.  They  chanted  songs  and  sang  joy- 
fully as  they  crossed  the  wide  plains,  confident  of  victory 
and  sure  of  an  ultimate  triumph.  Nor  was  this  to  be  denied 
them.  Soon  the  enemy  was  sighted,  drawn  up  upon  a bare 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


39 


plateau  and  awaiting  their  advance  with  a confidence  equal 
to  their  own. 

There  is  little  record  of  the  fight  that  ensued,  but  we  can 
well  imagine  that  it  must  have  been  severe  enough.  The 
squadrons  met  at  full  speed  upon  the  level  plain  and 
struggled  in  a hand-to-hand  encounter.  Then  personal 
prowess  counted  for  something  and  fighting  was  not  as  it  is 
in  our  day,  when  long-distance  guns  have  made  personal 
encounters  almost  impossible.  The  battle,  we  know,  was 
long  drawn  out.  But  as  the  sun  set  upon  the  plain,  the  tide 
of  conflict  turned  decidedly  in  favour  of  Genghis  Khan. 
The  followers  of  Serchin  Perke,  reeled,  turned,  and  were 
soon  broken  and  defeated.  They  were  cut  down  by  the 
cheering  tribesmen  of  the  Mongol  army,  who  spared 
neither  horse  nor  man.  Serchin  Perke  himself  escaped 
towards  the  mountains  with  a small  remnant  of  his  once 
powerful  cavalry,  and,  for  a time,  eluded  his  pursuers. 
But  a few  months  later  he  was  surrounded,  captured,  and 
immediately  put  to  death,  by  a squadron  from  the  victo- 
rious army  of  the  once  despised  Temuchin.  The  vengeance 
of  Genghis  Khan  had  been  swift  and  sure. 

From  this  time  on  the  power  and  dominion  of  the  Mongol . 
leader  increased.  He  seemed  to  be  blessed  by  a divine  fire, 
which  brought  success  to  his  every  undertaking,  and  he 
was  always  popular  with  both  troops  and  administrators.  So 
great  indeed  was  his  kingdom  that  it  became  impossible 
to  administer  his  affairs  without  the  aid  of  numerous  coun- 
sellors. Add  to  these  a host  of  under  secretaries ; and  you 
will  see  that,  in  time,  the  court  of  Genghis  Khan  grew  to 
considerable  numbers.  It  was  never  stationary,  but  was 
continually  shifted  as  necessity  demanded.  Starting  with 


40  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


but  a small  strip  of  land  on  the  River  Onon,  with  restless 
ambition  he  had  eventually  control  over  the  territory  from 
the  China  Sea  to  the  Dnieper  River.  For  a time  his  name 
was  the  most  feared  and  respected  in  all  Asia.  Even 
Europe  heard  of  his  fame  and  Greek  scholars  have  handed 
down  records  of  his  incessant  campaigns  and  have  pro- 
nounced his  name  to  be  the  most  important  in  Asiatic 
history. 

A story  which  is  told  of  him  at  this  time  well  illustrates 
the  affection  which  he  inspired  among  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  Attached  to  him  as  a body-servant  was 
one  Muhule,  a famous  bow-man  and  distinguished  for  his 
intelligence  and  learning.  So  clever  was  he  that  he  was 
called  “ The  Great  Hero.”  One  day  he  accompanied  his 
master  in  a retreat  before  a neighbouring  tribe,  with  which 
they  were  at  war,  and  it  happened  that  as  they  hastily  rode 
before  the  advancing  enemy,  they  were  caught  in  a terrific 
snow-storm.  Muhule  had  a mat  with  him  which  he  laid 
upon  the  ground  and  bade  his  master  stretch  himself  upon 
it.  Genghis  Khan  was  soon  asleep,  while  Muhule  crouched 
down  between  him  and  the  wind  in  order  to  protect  his 
body  from  the  snow.  When  morning  came,  the  master 
rose  refreshed,  but  the  faithful  Muhule  was  chilled 
through. 

Admitting  no  feeling  of  discomfort  to  his  master,  they 
were  again  soon  on  their  way  and  travelling  through  a 
narrow  defile  in  the  mountains.  When  Genghis  Khan 
looked  around  him,  he  exclaimed, 

“ This  is  just  the  place  for  robbers;  suppose  we  were 
attacked  here,  how  should  we  defend  ourselves?  ” 

Muhule  stepped  beside  him. 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


41 


“ May  it  please  you,”  he  replied.  “ I would  be  respon- 
sible for  them.” 

Scarcely  had  he  spoken,  when  a wild  yell  was  heard  from 
the  side  of  the  pass.  A band  of  robbers  was  lying  there  and 
they  sprang  from  their  hiding-place  with  howls  of  defiance. 
Arrows  began  to  fly  from  their  long  bows  and  so  thick  were 
they  that  it  looked  like  a shower  of  rain.  But  now  the 
gallant  Muhule  showed  himself  more  than  a match  for 
them.  He  seized  his  own  bow,  shot  three  times  at  the 
robbers,  and  every  time  that  he  shot,  a bandit  fell  to  the 
ground  mortally  wounded,  for  his  aim  was  deadly.  This 
disconcerted  the  attacking  party  beyond  measure  and  the 
leader  cried  out,  “ Who  are  you  that  shoots  with  such 
accurate  aim  ? ” 

“ Muhule,”  came  back  the  reply. 

“ Muhule,”  said  one  of  the  robbers.  “ Muhule?  Then 
we  have  no  chance  against  you.” 

So  they  turned  and  fled  from  the  mountain  pass,  for  the 
reputation  of  the  gallant  Muhule  was  such  as  to  strike  fear 
into  their  hearts. 

This  Muhule’s  father  had  also  been  devoted  to  the  for- 
tunes of  his  master  and  had  given  up  his  life  for  him.  Once 
in  a campaign  with  a neighbouring  tribe,  he  accompanied 
Temuchin  in  a hasty  flight  from  a number  of  pursuing 
Tartars.  They  had  ridden  very  far  without  sustenance, 
and  Temuchin,  as  Genghis  Khan  was  then  called,  became 
faint  from  loss  of  food.  When  his  men  saw  this  they  were 
much  disturbed,  and  Muhule  killed  oneof  the  camels  which 
he  rode.  Having  dressed  the  meat  and  cooked  it  before  a 
fire,  he  gave  it  to  Temuchin  and  revived  his  fainting  spirit. 
They  then  continued  on  their  journey,  but  a misfortune 


42 


FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


now  befell  them,  for  Temuchin’s  horse  became  completely 
exhausted  and  could  go  no  further.  Seeing  this,  the  faith- 
ful Muhule  got  down  from  his  own  mount  and  put  his 
master  upon  it,  running  beside  him  on  foot,  for  the  rest  of 
the  journey.  Suddenly  he  became  completely  exhausted 
and  fell  to  the  ground,  — dead.  Temuchin  was  much 
overcome  by  this  and  had  a monument  erected  to  his  faith- 
ful subject  when  he  returned  to  his  own  camp.  Such  an 
example  of  unselfish  service  has  seldom  been  met  with  in 
the  annals  of  Asiatic  history. 

It  was  only  to  be  expected  that  as  the  power  of  this 
mighty  warrior  grew,  he  would  have  many  battles  with 
neighbouring  tribes.  One  of  the  most  sagacious  of  his 
neighbours  was  Taiyin,  chief  of  the  Hung  Kcles,who  dete: 
mined  to  become  his  ally  and  so  marched  with  a large 
force  to  meet  him.  While  he  was  leisurely  pursuing  his 
journey,  he  was  suddenly  met  by  Hochar,  the  brother 
of  Temuchin,  who,  thinking  he  had  come  to  make  war, 
vigorously  attacked  his  vanguard.  A desperate  battle 
took  place,  which  lasted  from  dawn  until  dark,  and  which 
terminated  in  the  rout  of  Taiyin.  As  was  only  natural,  he 
was  infuriated  by  this  reception,  and  determined,  if  pos- 
sible, to  wreak  well-merited  revenge  upon  Genghis  Khan. 
With  the  object  in  view,  he  allied  himself  to  Chamuka,  the 
most  bitter  foe  which  Genghis  Khan  possessed,  when,  with 
a number  of  other  tribes,  he  met  in  a great  conclave  at  the 
River  Keen.  After  a feast  of  friendship,  they  elected  Cha- 
muka General-in-chief  and  entered  into  an  agreement  to 
fight  against  Genghis  Khan,  the  common  enemy,  saying, 
“ Whoso  betrays  our  plans  may  he  be  broken  like  the 
banks  of  this  river  and  cut  off  like  these  trees.”  As  they 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


43 


uttered  these  words,  they  stamped  upon  the  ground  and 
cut  down  the  saplings,  which  grew  about  them,  with  their 
battle-axes.  Then  they  retired  to  refresh  themselves  for 
the  coming  battle. 

Next  morning  this  mighty  host  advanced  to  attack  the 
forces  of  the  Mongolian  chieftain,  but  it  happened  that 
among  their  numbers  was  a soldier  whose  wife  was  a blood 
relation  to  Genghis  Khan.  Secretly  leaving  her  own  camp, 
the  woman  seized  a picketed  horse  and  escaped  to  the 
lines  of  the  enemy,  to  whom  she  divulged  the  approach  of 
the  hostile  army.  Here  the  courage  of  this  famous  warrior 
was  clearly  shown.  Realizing  that  to  beat  a retreat  would 
destroy  the  spirit  of  his  warriors  and  would  impair  their 
warlike  valour,  Genghis  Khan  determined  upon  an  imme- 
diate advance.  His  own  troops  were  far  inferior  to  the  foe 
in  point  of  numbers,  and  the  intrepid  leader  knew  that  if  he 
did  not  throw  himself  upon  the  Allies,  they  would  no  doubt 
annihilate  his  own  command  through  pure  superiority  of 
attacking  power.  So  the  army  was  up  and  ready  long  be- 
fore the  day-break. 

Skirting  some  high  hills,  which  hid  the  wild  horsemen 
from  the  hostiles,  Genghis  Khan  eventually  drew  near  his 
enemy’s  line.  It  was  at  dawn  and  the  lazy  pickets  were 
yawning  before  their  camp-fires  when  the  wild  Tartars 
debouched  from  the  hills,  in  whose  misty  shadow  they  were 
hidden.  Sounding  the  harsh  battle  cry,  they  rushed,  at 
full  speed,  into  the  camp,  cutting  down  the  guards  and 
stampeding  a portion  of  the  horses.  But  they  were  not 
to  have  everything  their  own  way,  for  soon  they  were 
charged  in  the  flank  by  a detachment  of  mounted  men  and 
their  easy  conquest  was  severely  disputed.  The  battle 


44  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


waged  for  an  hour  or  more  and  then  turned  in  favour  of 
Genghis  Khan.  Chamuka  himself  rode  away  for  his  life, 
followed  by  the  remnants  of  his  army,  and  Taiyin,  seeing 
that  all  was  lost,  submitted  his  sword  to  the  conqueror, 
swearing  continual  allegiance  to  him  from  henceforth. 

The  history  of  this  man’s  life  from  now  on  seems  to  be 
similar  to  that  of  every  great  conqueror.  He  increased  in 
the  desire  for  power  and  dominion  and  let  no  chance  go 
by  where  he  could  wage  war  against  those  who  opposed 
his  will.  Nor  were  his  enemies  able  to  form  alliances 
which  were  powerful  enough  to  withstand  him.  Napoleon 
the  First  was  eventually  crushed  by  a combination  of 
armies  from  territories  which  he  had  held  in  subjection, 
but  such  was  not  to  be  the  fate  of  this  terrible  Mongol, 
whose  lust  for  conflict  seemed  to  be  insatiable.  Tribe 
after  tribe  was  brought  under  subjection  until  he  governed 
an  empire  of  many  millions  of  souls.  But  he  was  not  only 
a conqueror.  He  made  many  good  laws,  and  the  courts 
of  justice  which  he  established  were  famed  for  their  equal- 
ity in  settling  disputes  among  his  own  people.  It  makes 
one  shudder  to  read  that,  from  1211  to  1223,  18,470,000 
human  beings  perished  in  Chain  and  Tangut  alone  be- 
cause of  this  warrior,  yet  we  learn  that  he  governed  those 
who  did  submit  to  him  with  great  leniency.  His  creed 
seemed  to  be  to  raze  all  cities  to  the  ground,  for  he  deemed 
them  the  haunts  of  slaves  and  luxury,  and  in  their  stead, 
he  wished  to  see  green  grass  for  his  herds  to  graze  upon. 
Siege  works  were  always  constructed  outside  the  doomed 
walls  of  the  towns  which  he  attacked.  These  were  armed 
with  catapults  and  peasants  were  forced  to  work  them  day 
and  night  so  that  the  beleaguered  garrisons  had  no  rest.  A 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


45 


siege  was  rarely  abandoned,  and  sometimes  lasted  a year. 
At  the  end  there  was  usually  a massacre  of  those  defenders 
who  had  withstood  the  assaults  of  his  own  fierce  troopers. 

Shortly  after  the  fight  with  Chamuka,  there  was  diffi- 
culty with  Tayang  Khan,  chief  of  the  Naimans.  He  was 
jealous  of  the  growing  power  of  Genghis  Khan  and  so  sent 
messengers  to  the  chief  of  the  White  Tartar  Tribe,  asking 
him  to  assist  in  stemming  the  advance  of  this  conqueror. 
“ I hear  that  there  has  arisen  in  the  East  a chief  who  aspires 
to  the  title  of  Emperor,”  he  said.  “ Now  there  is  only  one 
sun  in  the  heavens,  and  there  is  only  one  supreme  ruler  on 
earth,  so  if  you  will  send  supports  to  my  right  wing  I will 
undertake  to  rob  him  of  his  bows  and  arrows.” 

But  this  message  did  not  meet  with  the  cordial  support 
which  Tayang  Khan  had  expected,  for  the  chief  of  the 
White  Tartar  Tribe  was  closely  allied  to  Genghis  Khan  in 
many  interests.  So  he  sent  certain  messengers  to  him  to 
tell  him  what  had  happened,  and  with  them  six  flasks  of 
wine;  a luxury  which  was  then  totally  unknown  among 
the  followers  of  the  Great  Mongol  Invader.  The  Em- 
peror himself  partook  of  the  contents  but  did  not  parti- 
cularly approve  of  the  beverage.  ‘ A little  of  this  stuff,” 
he  remarked,  “ raises  the  spirits.  On  the  other  hand  an 
overdose  confuses  them.”  So,  from  then  on,  he  did  not 
allow  wine  to  be  used  in  his  own  camp,  which  was  quite 
in  keeping  with  his  stern  and  fanatical  character. 

The  news  which  the  chief  of  the  White  Tartar  Tribe  had 
given  him  made  it  evident  to  Genghis  Khan  that  he  must 
soon  wage  war  against  the  Naimans,  so,  in  the  year  1204, 
he  called  his  warrior  leaders  of  cavalry  together  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Temeker  in  order  to  discuss  plans  for  a 


46  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


campaign  against  his  enemies.  His  idea  was  to  make  an 
immediate  advance,  for  he  had  always  been  successful  in 
precipitous  attacks,  but  to  this  his  generals  of  horse  de- 
murred, saying,  “ The  Spring  is  just  opening  and  our 
horses  are  thin  after  the  cold  and  bad  forage  of  the  Winter. 
Let  us  therefore  wait  until  they  have  been  strengthened 
by  summer  pastures,  and  in  the  Autumn  let  us  take  to  the 
field.” 

But  Gotsekin,  the  brother  of  Genghis  Khan,  was  of  a 
different  opinion. 

“ The  provocation  we  have  received  is  too  great  and  the 
matter  too  urgent  to  make  the  condition  of  our  horses  a 
sufficient  plea  for  delay,”  he  said. 

This  idea  was  popular  among  a number  of  the  leaders 
of  the  divisions.  One  stood  up  and  remarked, 

“ The  threat  of  the  Naimans  to  capture  our  bows  and 
arrows  is  an  insult  which  must  be  avenged.  For,  trusting 
in  the  mightiness  of  their  Kingdom,  they  speak  swelling 
words.  If  then,  while  they  are  lifted  up  in  their  pride,  we 
overthrow  them,  we  shall  once  again  recover  our  prestige.” 

This  speech  was  most  satisfactory  to  Genghis  Khan, 
who  now  stood  up. 

“ Let  us  fight  at  once,  and  who  is  there  who  doubts  on 
which  side  the  victory  will  lie  ? ” he  said. 

His  remarks  were  greeted  with  a loud  shout  of  approval, 
and  those  who  had  first  spoken  seemed  to  have  forgotten 
their  early  ideas  of  delay.  With  alacrity  they  began  to 
prepare  for  the  campaign.  Their  swords  were  sharpened, 
arrows  re-pointed,  and  horses  groomed  and  strengthened 
by  more  feeding.  The  camp  was  moved  to  a large  moun- 
tain, called  Mount  Chintakai,  from  which  a Hew  could  be 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


47 


had  of  all  the  surrounding  territory.  But  the  Naimans 
had  also  been  active  and  Tayang  moved  his  camp  to  the 
Kangai  Mountains  where  he  was  joined  by  Toto,  leader  of 
the  Merkits,  and  several  other  chiefs;  thus  increasing  his 
force  to  a somewhat  unwieldy  size. 

While  the  two  armies  lay  watching  each  other  and  pre- 
paring for  the  coming  battle,  a troop-horse  that  had  broken 
loose  from  the  camp  of  Genghis  Khan,  strayed  into  the 
lines  of  the  Naimans.  He  was  caught  and  brought  before 
Tayang  who  saw  how  poor  his  condition  was  and  said  to 
his  generals ; 

“ See  how  thin  and  weak  are  the  horses  of  the  far-famed 
Genghis  Khan.  Now  if  we  decoy  his  followers  within  our 
borders  by  feigning  retreat,  we  shall  be  able  to  surround 
and  utterly  destroy  them.” 

But  this  policy  did  not  please  his  soldiers  and  they  did 
not  hesitate  to  say  so.  One  of  his  most  prominent  gen- 
erals voiced  the  opinion  of  his  men.  “ Our  former  ruler,” 
he  said,  “ always  led  us  straight  to  the  attack,  and  in  those 
days  our  enemies  never  saw  our  horses’  tails  or  the  backs 
of  our  men.  Your  present  counsel  is  but  the  product  of 
fear.  If  you  have  not  the  courage  to  lead  us,  let  your  wives 
come  and  command  our  army.” 

No  man  of  spirit  could  stand  such  a taunt,  so  when  Tay- 
ang heard  this  he  was  angry  and  determined  to  begin  battle 
at  once.  Calling  his  different  leaders  to  him,  he  pointed  out 
where  they  were  were  to  take  position,  ordering  them  to 
sound  the  “ to  arms,”  at  daybreak,  and  gave  them  definite 
directions  for  fighting.  When  the  morning  came  his 
mighty  army  advanced  to  the  conflict,  confidently  expect- 
ing to  crush  the  power  of  Genghis  Khan. 


48  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 

But  the  crafty  Mongol  was  ready  for  them.  He  had 
drawn  his  own  horsemen  up  in  battle  array  on  the  flanks 
of  his  line  and  in  the  centre  had  placed  his  bowmen,  armed 
with  a goodly  supply  of  spare  arrows.  They  lay  down 
behind  some  rocky  prominences  in  front  and  awaited  the 
oncoming  of  their  enemies  with  songs  and  cheers  of  de- 
fiance. Soon  the  attacking  line  was  seen  approaching 
through  the  morning  mist,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they 
were  near  enough  to  receive  a shower  of  barbs  and  missiles 
from  the  centre  of  the  Mongol  line.  Disregarding  this 
the  Naimans  rushed  onward  and  were  soon  engaged  in  a 
hand-to-hand  encounter  among  the  boulders.  The  masses 
of  cavalry  crashed  into  each  other  simultaneously,  and  soon 
the  entire  force  was  engaged.  A chronicler  of  the  period 
says;  “When  the  sun  touched  thevrestern  horizon,  the  vic- 
tory for  Genghis  Khan  was  complete;  the  formidable  Tay- 
ang  was  numbered  with  the  slain,  and  his  troops  were  in 
full  flight.  While  yet  the  vanquished  soldiers  hurried  from 
the  field,  darkness  fell  upon  them  and  thousands  were 
dashed  to  pieces  over  the  mountain  precipices  which  sur- 
rounded them.  But  the  number  of  those  who  perished 
was  as  nothing  to  those  who  were  slain  and  taken  prisoners.” 

After  this  victory,  Genghis  Khan  considered  himself 
sufficiently  powerful  to  proclaim  himself  ruler  of  an  em- 
pire, so  he  called  together  all  the  tribes  which  were  tribu- 
tary to  him  and  assumed  the  title  of  Emperor.  The  meet- 
ing-place was  on  the  banks  of  the  Onon,  in  the  same  spot 
where  he  had  been  born,  and  where,  in  his  infancy,  the 
very  tribes  which  now  bowed  down  to  him  had  refused  to 
acknowledge  him  their  superior. 

Having  assumed  this  august  title,  he  now  began  another 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


49 


offensive  campaign  against  those  tribes  lying  to  the  south 
of  his  possessions.  These  he  defeated  in  several  skirmishes 
and  drove  southward  until  they  took  refuge  behind  the 
great  wall  of  China,  built  by  some  of  the  earlier  Emperors 
of  the  unwarlike  Chinese  to  keep  out  just  such  ruthless 
invaders  as  himself.  But  he  stormed  the  parapet,  secured 
a footing  on  the  wall,  and  from  this  vantage-point  dis- 
patched three  separate  bodies  of  horse  to  overrun  the 
country.  The  left  wing  of  this  division  was  commanded 
by  his  brothers,  the  right  wing  by  his  three  sons,  and  the 
centre  by  himself.  Complete  success  attended  the  ex- 
pedition ; over  thirty  cities  were  razed  to  the  ground  and 
the  inhabitants  forced  to  bear  the  yoke  of  this  alien.  Thus 
the  ruler  over  all  these  people  was  compelled  to  make  peace 
with  the  terrible  warrior.  As  a peace  offering,  he  presented 
Genghis  Khan  with  five  hundred  young  men  and  women 
and  three  thousand  horses. 

Not  satisfied  with  the  conquest  of  all  Northern  China, 
Genghis  now  prepared  a campaign  against  the  people 
living  to  the  west  of  his  possessions.  This  country  was  then 
under  the  sovereignty  of  Muhammed,  a courageous  and 
crafty  ruler,  who  had  outraged  the  feelings  of  the  Mongols 
by  putting  to  death  some  of  their  envoys.  Bent  upon 
revenge  for  this  insult,  the  flower  of  the  Mongolian  army 
was  marched  into  Turkestan  against  four  hundred  thou- 
sand warriors,  led  by  the  intrepid  Muhammed.  It  is  said 
that  near  one  million  men  participated  in  the  battle  that 
ensued,  which  lasted  over  two  days,  and  resulted  in  the  com- 
plete rout  of  the  force  under  Muhammed.  One  hundred 
and  sixty  thousand  dead  lay  upon  the  field,  when  the  sun 
sank  upon  that  terrible  affair.  City  after  city  capitulated 


50  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


to  the  invaders,  who  followed  the  lead  of  their  commander 
in  robbery  and  plunder,  after  each  separate  capture.  He, 
himself,  mounted  the  steps  of  a temple  in  Bokhara,  (a  rich 
and  populous  town)  and  cried,  “ The  hay  is  cut,  my 
followers,  give  your  horses  fodder  !”  Is  it  a wonder  that 
his  greedy  soldiers  made  havoc  of  the  treasures  of  the  city  ? 

Genghis  now  pursued  Muhammed  with  a flying  column 
of  seventy  thousand  men,  defeated  him  in  several  skir- 
mishes and  so  disorganized  his  following,  that  his  soldiers 
deserted  whenever  the  opportunity  presented  itself.  Poor 
Muhammed  fled  to  a small  town  on  the  Caspian  Sea,  where 
he  died  of  pneumonia,  praying,  with  his  last  breath,  that 
his  son  would  continue  the  war  against  the  tyrant.  This 
his  faithful  descendant  endeavoured  to  do,  but  outnumbered 
and  out-manoeuvred,  he  was  forced  to  fall  back  before  the 
attack  of  the  superior  force,  until  he  reached  a deep  river. 
Here  he  made  his  last  stand,  a desperate  one  indeed,  but  he 
was  unable  to  hold  his  ground.  Seeing  that  the  day  was 
lost,  he  jumped  upon  a fresh  horse,  and  plunged  twenty 
feet  below,  into  the  river,  over  which  he  swam  in  safety, 
only  to  hurl  defiance  at  Genghis  Khan  from  the  opposite 
side  with  his  clenched  fist.  The  Conqueror  smiled  at  this, 
for  he  admired  a brave  man  when  he  saw  one,  and  was  not 
sorry  that  the  fugitive  had  made  his  escape. 

A force  was  soon  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  son  of  Mu- 
hammed, but  he  was  too  active  to  be  captured.  So  the 
soldiers  laid  waste  to  the  towns  and  Ullages  in  their  path 
before  they  returned  to  the  main  army,  now  on  its  wray  to 
Mongolia.  The  Mongols  arrived  from  this  great  expedi- 
tion with  confidence  and  enthusiasm,  for  their  march  had 
been  one  series  of  successes.  They  had  travelled  from 


GENGHIS  KHAN 


51 


Asia  to  the  border  line  of  Europe  and  had  conquered 
wherever  they  had  gone.  Hundreds  of  towns,  cities  and 
villages  had  been  taken,  and  they  were  rich  in  stolen  plun- 
der, for  this  was  one  of  the  greatest  campaigns  of  conquest 
in  all  history. 

But  in  spite  of  apparent  bodily  strength,  at  this  time, 
the  life  of  the  mighty  Genghis  Khan  was  soon  to  come  to  a 
close.  He  was  now  sixty-five  years  of  age,  still  active  and 
mentally  vigorous,  but  his  existence  of  toil  and  exposure 
in  the  open  had  begun  to  tell  on  him.  While  on  a cam- 
paign against  the  Chinese  in  the  western  portion  of  Asia, 
word  was  brought  by  one  of  the  court  astrologers,  that  five 
planets  in  the  heavens  were  seen  to  be  very  close  to 
one  another.  To  the  superstitious  mind  of  the  Barbarian, 
the  omen  was  one  of  evil.  The  more  he  thought  upon  the 
matter,  the  more  perturbed  he  became,  and  so  he  turned 
about  for  home,  believing  that  some  ill  would  befall  him. 
It  proved  that  these  suspicions  were  correct,  for,  when  he 
arrived  upon  the  banks  of  a small  river  in  Southern  China, 
he  was  suddenly  seized  with  a violent  illness.  He  died  a 
short  time  afterwards,  having  been  carried  to  Mongolia 
upon  a litter.  By  the  terms  of  his  will,  his  son  was  made 
successor  to  the  Empire ; and  it  was  considered  of  so  much 
importance  that  his  death  should  be  kept  a secret,  that  the 
escort  of  the  funeral  procession  killed  every  one  they  met 
on  the  way  to  his  last  resting-place. 

So  perished  the  Great  Genghis  Khan;  warrior;  con- 
queror ; captain  of  light  and  heavy  horse.  His  had  truly 
been  a strenuous  existence  and  filled  with  the  utmost  dan- 
ger and  excitement.  From  the  banks  of  the  Amoor  River 
in  Mongolia  he  had  successfully  carried  his  horsemen  to 


52  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


the  Dnieper  River,  which  flows  through  Russia  into  the 
Black  Sea;  from  the  land  of  the  Koreans  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  near  Japan,  to  the  very  south  of  Chinese  Empire 
of  the  present  day.  He  had  penetrated  the  deserts  of 
Persia  and  had  swept  far  below  the  border  line  of  India. 
Those  who  stood  in  his  path  were  treated  with  barbaric 
leniency.  He  founded  a mighty  empire,  but  it  was  soon 
dissipated  under  the  rule  of  his  descendants,  leaving  be- 
hind only  the  record  of  the  great  conqueror,  — a name 
which  will  last  for  all  time. 


CHEVAUER  BAYARD 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD:  THE  WARRIOR  WITH- 
OUT FEAR  AND  WITHOUT  REPROACH 

[i475  — i524] 

ALTHOUGH  history  shows  us  that  the  age  of  Attila 
and  of  Genghis  Khan  was  rough  and  brutal,  an- 
other period  of  European  warfare  wTas  upon  a far 
different  plane.  Where  — in  the  earlier  ages  - — men  had 
little  kindness  for  the  conquered,  and  no  respect,  or  regard, 
for  their  rights,  a change  came  over  the  customs  and  the 
manners  of  the  people.  War  was  conducted  with  as  much 
fierceness  as  ever,  but  with  more  thought  for  the  injured 
and  kindness  to  those  who  fell  captive.  The  warriors  and 
knights  who  devoted  their  lives  to  those  conflicts  which 
were  continually  waged  between  jealous  rulers,  dedi- 
cated themselves  to  pure,  unselfish  living,  and  to  lofty  ideals. 
They  went  through  a rigid  course  of  training  to  gain  a 
knowledge  of  the  profession  of  arms,  and  endeavoured  to 
pursue  their  chosen  calling  with  respect  for  the  weak  and 
generous  treatment  of  the  strong. 

Among  those  who  have  left  noble  reputations  in  the 
records  of  this  chivalric  age,  are  Richard  the  Lion  Hearted, 
King  of  England  and  conqueror  of  the  Moslem  hosts  which 
defended  Jerusalem : Sir  Philip  Sidney,  the  English 

courtier  and  poet : and  Chevalier  Bayard,  a French 

knight  of  the  most  incomparable  generosity,  bravery,  and 

53 


54  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


kindness  of  heart.  He  was  one  of  those  illustrious  persons 
who  are  the  pride  of  their  country  and  an  inspiration  to 
human  progress.  The  many  virtues  which  he  possessed 
have  justly  rendered  him  the  most  attractive  character 
that  has  ever  graced  the  pages  of  history. 

This  famous  soldier  was  born  at  the  Castle  of  Bayard 
in  Dauphiny,  France,  about  the  middle  of  the  Fifteenth 
Century,  and  was  sprung  from  a race  of  knights  and  war- 
riors who  had,  for  many  generations,  expended  both  their 
energy  and  their  fortunes  in  the  service  of  their  native  land. 
He  inherited  an  intrepid  courage  and  an  exalted  sense  of 
honour  from  his  parents,  who  took  great  care  with  his  early 
education  in  order  that  it  should  be  suitable  to  the  dignity 
of  his  family.  From  his  father  he  inherited  a strong  con- 
stitution and  vigorous  frame ; from  his  mother,  a love  of 
learning  and  literature.  This  was  appreciated  by  his 
uncle,  the  Bishop  of  Grenoble,  who  perceived  the  many 
excellent  virtues  of  the  young  man,  and  took  so  much  in- 
terest in  his  welfare,  that  he  had  him  instructed  under  his 
own  eye.  With  this  able  tuition  he  early  learned  those 
rudiments  of  both  learning  and  character  that  are  essential 
to  all  who  are  to  become  men  of  mark. 

When  thirteen  years  of  age  his  father  became  grievously 
ill,  and,  fearing  that  his  end  was  approaching,  sent  for  his 
wife  and  four  children  in  order  to  make  provisions  for  their 
future  and  find  out  what  careers  they  wished  to  follow. 
The  oldest  boy  said  that  he  wished  to  live  with  his  parents 
as  long  as  they  remained  on  earth,  and  to  reside  in  the  old 
homestead  as  a country  gentleman,  after  their  death.  Then 
Bayard,  the  second  son,  was  asked  what  he  wished  to  do 
in  order  to  gain  a livelihood.  With  a spirit,  surprising  in 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


55 


one  of  such  youthful  mind,  he  replied  that,  as  he  held  such 
a glorious  name,  and  one  so  illustrious  in  the  warfare  of  his 
country,  that  he  begged  permission  to  be  allowed  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  numerous  ancestors  who  had  taken 
up  the  profession  of  arms.  “ I hope,”  he  concluded,  “ by 
the  grace  of  God,  to  do  no  dishonour  to  this,  one  of  the  most 
glorious  and  exalted  houses  in  France,  and,  by  no  word  or 
deed  to  take  one  spark  from  the  glory  of  my  ancestors.” 
At  this  noble  speech  his  father  was  moved  to  tears.  “ My 
son,”  he  said.  “ You  are  already  in  face  and  figure  like 
your  grandfather,  who  was  one  of  the  most  accomplished 
gentlemen  of  his  time.  I am  rejoiced  to  hear  your  resolu- 
tion, and  I wish  to  do  all  that  I can  to  forward  your  wishes 
by  placing  you  in  the  house  of  some  high-born  Prince  where 
you  will  learn  all  the  noble  and  manly  exercises  necessary 
for  a knight.” 

So  his  good  father  lost  no  time  in  finding  a position  for 
him  with  some  influential  noble  who  could  instruct  him  in 
the  art  of  chivalry  and  knighthood.  The  kind  Bishop  of 
Grenoble  took  upon  himself  the  presentation  of  the  boy  at 
court,  and  resolved  to  send  him  to  the  great  Duke  of  Savoy 
to  be  his  page.  So  together  they  travelled  to  Chamberri, 
where  the  court  was,  and  made  known  their  presence  to  the 
servants  of  this  powerful  courtier.  When  the  Duke,  him- 
self, learned  of  their  presence,  he  received  them  with  many 
signs  of  friendship,  and  pressed  them  to  remain  and  dine 
with  him.  To  this  they  consented,  and  the  youthful  Bay- 
ard waited  upon  the  table  with  such  grace  and  proficiency, 
that  the  Duke  was  favourably  impressed  with  his  manners, 
and  asked  who  the  child  was. 

“ Sir,”  said  the  old  man,  “ He  is  my  nephew  whom  I 


56  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


have  brought  with  me,  to  present  to  you,  if  his  services  will 
be  of  any  use  to  you.” 

The  Duke  seemed  highly  pleased.  “ I accept  him  at 
once,”  he  replied.  “ And  should  indeed  be  difficult  to 
please  if  I refused  to  accept  such  a present.” 

So  Bayard  was  made  a member  of  the  Duke’s  house- 
hold, where  he  applied  himself  diligently  to  all  the  exercises 
which  were  essential  to  the  youth  who  would  become  a 
knight.  He  learned  to  wrestle,  jump,  hurl  the  bar,  and 
fence  with  the  rapier.  He  attended  his  master  in  his  walks ; 
bore  his  messages  for  him ; followed  behind  in  the  chase ; 
and  waited  upon  him  at  table.  He  was  taught  good  be- 
haviour; heard  lectures  on  religion,  poetry,  and  art;  and 
was  instructed  to  give  due  reverence  to  God.  By  his  grace, 
docility,  and  good  manners,  he  won  the  respect  of  all, 
while  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  were  sensible 
to  a rare  fascination  which  he  possessed,  and  were  attracted 
to  him  by  an  affectionate  regard.  Although  excelling  all 
the  other  pages  in  athletic  exercises,  he  did  not  stimulate 
their  jealousy  by  his  success,  for  they  admired  his  skill; 
praised  his  strength;  and  felt  a high  regard  for  him  be- 
cause of  the  purity  and  loftiness  of  his  mind. 

The  young  and  accomplished  Bayard  remained  with 
the  Duke  for  some  time,  and  then  accompanied  him  to  the 
court  of  Charles  the  Eighth,  who  had  been  at  Lyons,  for 
over  a year,  amusing  himself  with  tourneys,  feasts,  and 
balls.  The  King  was  then  in  the  prime  of  life  and  had 
always  loved  men  of  brave  and  enterprising  spirit.  For 
this  reason,  and  because  of  Bayard’s  attractive  appearance, 
he  was  so  much  impressed  by  the  boy  that  he  asked  who 
he  was.  “ That,”  answered  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  “ is  young 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


57 


Bayard,  the  nephew  of  the  Bishop  of  Grenoble  and  one  of 
the  most  accomplished  of  my  pages.”  As  he  was  speaking 
these  words,  the  horse  which  Bayard  was  riding  began  to 
rear  and  plunge,  but  was  unable  to  unseat  hie  skilful  rider. 
“ Spur  him,  Page  ! Spur  him ! ” shouted  the  Duke,  as  the 
horse  started  to  gallop.  The  other  pages  also  shouted, 
“ Spur ! Spur  ! ” So  Bayard  pricked  his  steed  with  much 
skill,  and  galloped  across  the  plain  as  if  shot  from  the 
mouth  of  a cannon.  Then  he  curbed  the  fierce  dash  of 
his  charger,  wheeled  him  about,  and  cantered  back  to  the 
place  from  which  he  had  started  with  all  the  ease  and  grace 
of  a rider  of  thirty  years’  experience.  The  King  was  much 
impressed  by  this  show  of  horsemanship,  and,  so  pleased 
with  his  spirit  and  appearance,  that  he  offered  him  a posi- 
tion in  his  own  service.  Bayard  accepted  at  once,  was  put 
in  care  of  the  Count  of  Ligny,  and  was  named,  “ Piquez,” 
which,  in  French,  means,  “spur.”  By  this  surname  he  was 
known  for  a long  time  afterwards. 

At  the  end  of  three  years  — when  Bayard  was  nineteen 
— he  was  made  a man-at-arms,  and,  later,  a gentleman- 
of-the-house,  a position  to  which  a very  small  salary  was 
attached,  so  small,  indeed,  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  equip  himself  with  horses,  armour,  and  arms,  which  are 
necessary  for  one  who  holds  this  situation.  About  this 
time  a knight,  famous  for  his  skill  in  arms,  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  King  to  have  a tournament  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  court.  He  therefore  hung  up  his  coat  of 
armour  in  a conspicuous  place,  where  all  who  struck  it  were 
to  thus  signify  that  they  wished  to  enter  the  contest.  Bay- 
ard accidentally  passed  by  the  place  where  the  breast-plate 
was  hung  up,  accompanied  by  an  old  friend,  and  was 


58  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


seized  with  a strong  desire  to  strike  the  gage.  But,  as  he 
had  no  arms  or  horses  — nor  money  to  buy  them  with  — 
he  resolved  to  relinquish  his  design,  and  so  hung  his  head 
in  disconsolate  silence.  His  companion,  Belarbre,  saw  the 
gloomy  look  upon  his  countenance  and  said,  “ My  friend, 
why  do  you  look  so  sad  ? Has  aught  befallen  you  of  a dis- 
tressing nature?  ” 

“ Indeed  it  is  the  truth,”  Bayard  replied,  “ Here  I am 
eager  and  willing  to  prove  my  ability  as  a knight,  and  yet 
I cannot  enter  the  lists  because  I am  poor  and  have  not  the 
means  to  do  so.” 

“ Fear  not,”  replied  Belarbre,  “ You  shall  have  every 
necessity  and  your  uncle  will  defray  the  expense.” 

“ You  deceive  yourself,  my  friend,”  said  Bayard,  “ He 
will  advance  no  money.  But  were  my  good  friend,  the 
Bishop  of  Grenoble,  in  the  neighbourhood,  there  would,  at 
least  be  a gleam  of  hope ; but  he  is  at  too  great  a distance. 
As  to  my  uncle,  the  Abbot  D’Esnay,  there  is  nothing  to  be 
expected  of  him.” 

Belarbre  answered  quickly.  “ It  matters  not.  You 
must  strike  the  coat  of  armour  and  I will  answer  for  the 
event.  To-morrow  we  will  go  to  your  uncle  the  Abbot 
D’Esnay,  who  must  not  refuse  you.” 

So  Bayard  was  persuaded  by  the  soothing  voice  of  his 
friend.  He  struck  the  coat  of  armour  and  thus  entered  the 
tournament,  though  totally  unprepared  to  do  so.  And  he 
was  not  to  gain  the  assistance  of  his  uncle  as  easily  as  he 
expected,  for,  wThen  he  found  him,  at  his  Abbey,  and  told 
him  of  the  purpose  of  his  visit,  he  was  answered  with  cold- 
ness, and  informed  that  the  money  of  the  church  could  not 
be  given  to  young  men  to  squander  away  in  profane  amuse- 
ments. 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


59 


To  this  the  disappointed  youth  answered  with  a tone  of 
sorrow  and  respect,  “ I only  pursue  that  path  of  glory  that 
has  been  marked  out  by  my  ancestors,  dear  uncle,  and  they 
have  all  signalized  themselves  by  deeds  of  arms.  They 
all  acquired  an  honourable  renown  by  the  sword,  and  if  you 
now  forsake  me,  I will  be  held  up  to  public  shame,  and 
thus  the  whole  house  of  Terail  will  be  covered  with  dis- 
honour.” 

This  appeal  melted  the  heart  of  the  Abbot,  who  changed 
his  opinion  immediately  and  gave  his  nephew  a letter  of 
credit  on  a merchant,  and  money  with  which  to  purchase 
horses.  Thus,  on  the  day  of  the  tournament,  Bayard  ap- 
peared as  well  equipped  as  any,  and  he  acquitted  himself 
with  so  much  credit,  that,  when  he  returned  from  an  en- 
counter with  the  knight  who  had  hung  up  his  armour,  he 
received  praise  from  the  veteran  warriors  and  admiration 
from  numbers  of  the  ladies.  The  King  was  so  delighted 
with  his  success  that  he  expressed,  in  the  warmest  manner, 
the  satisfaction  which  it  gave  him.  As  a token  of  his  es- 
teem he  dispatched  him  to  Flanders,  shortly  afterwards, 
with  a company  of  artillery,  and  presented  him  with  money 
and  horses  with  which  to  equip  himself  as  a knight  and  a 
gentleman. 

In  Flanders  Bayard  remained  for  two  years  until  the 
breaking  out  of  hostilities  between  the  French  King  and 
the  Italians,  when  he  joined  the  invading  army  of  his 
sovereign.  Charles  the  Eighth  was  young,  impulsive,  and 
desirous  of  bringing  renown  to  his  reign.  He  therefore 
resolved  to  make  good  his  pretensions  to  the  Kingdom  of 
Naples.  With  a well  appointed  army,  which  was  small  in 
numbers,  he  entered  Italy,  bore  everything  before  him, 


60  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


♦ 

and  captured  Naples.  All  went  well  with  him  until  he  be- 
gan to  return  to  France,  when  — with  a sudden  and  un- 
expected patriotism  — the  Italians  rose ; formed  an  army 
of  fifty  thousand;  and  marched  to  battle  with  the  French 
conqueror.  Although  Charles  had  a much  inferior  army 
he  relied  upon  the  natural  valour  of  his  troops  to  withstand 
the  attack  of  this  vastly  superior  force.  The  rival  factions 
met  near  the  village  of  Fornova,a  fierce  fight  ensued,  which 
resulted  in  a victory  for  the  French  only  after  a terrific 
assault  by  the  King  himself,  at  the  head  of  three  hundred 
horse.  As  the  Italians  fled,  the  French  monarch  was  left 
behind  with  a few  attendants  to  protect  him ; a situation 
which  some  of  the  Italian  troops  soon  perceived,  and  so 
rallied  a sufficient  force  to  hem  him  in  on  all  sides  and  at- 
tempt his  capture. 

Bayard  perceived  the  dangerous  situation  in  which  his 
sovereign  was  placed,  and,  together  with  several  other 
youthful  knights,  rushed  to  his  aid.  They  fought  valiantly 
with  the  Italians  who  surrounded  him,  and  who  — spurred 
on  by  the  desire  to  secure  a large  ransom  which  they  knew 
would  be  forthcoming  for  the  King’s  person  — made  des- 
perate efforts  to  get  near  enough  to  carry  him  away.  But 
so  successful  was  the  youthful  Bayard,  that  he  was  able  to 
knock  down  several  Italian  soldiers  who  came  close  enough 
to  make  a dash  for  the  King,  and,  at  last,  help  came  from 
a troop  of  French  cavalry,  returning  from  the  pursuit  of 
the  fleeing  Italians.  At  this,  the  surrounding  force  re- 
treated, leaving  the  King  free  to  receive  the  congratulations 
of  his  troops,  and  to  congratulate  them,  in  turn,  upon 
their  glorious  victory.  A courtier  presented  Bayard  to 
him  after  the  battle,  and  said,  “ Sire,  see,  here  is  your 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


61 


young  Piquet  who  has  behaved  during  the  action  with  un- 
common bravery.  He  has  had  two  horses  killed  under  him, 
and  has  taken  his  standard  from  the  enemy,  which  he  now 
has  the  honour  of  presenting  to  you.  But  why  should  I 
mention  his  virtues  ? You  have  been  an  eye-witness  of  his 
exploits.” 

“ I am  fully  satisfied  with  young  Bayard’s  valour,”  re- 
plied the  King,  and  turned  to  the  blushing,  young  knight. 
“ Continue  to  distinguish  yourself  and  I will  not  forget 
you,”  he  said.  Then,  requesting  that  he  kneel,  he  struck 
him  with  the  flat  of  his  sword  and  thus  conferred  upon 
him  the  order  of  knighthood,  presenting  him,  later,  with  a 
purse  of  five  hundred  crowns.  “ For,”  he  remarked,  “ I 
have  seen  no  one  during  the  engagement  who  has  rendered 
himself  more  worthy  of  the  honour  which  I have  conferred 
upon  you.”  Thus  Bayard,  had,  at  last,  achieved  the  dis- 
tinction which  he  craved ; had  fulfilled  the  promise  of  his 
youth ; and  had  brought  further  glory  to  the  honourable 
name  of  his  family. 

But  although  he  had  made  a reputation  for  himself 
under  Charles  the  Eighth,  that  monarch  soon  died,  and  it 
was  under  his  successor,  Louis  the  Twelfth  of  Orleans,  that 
Bayard’s  greatest  deeds  of  valour,  kindness,  and  heroism 
occurred.  This  King  pursued  the  war  against  the  Italians 
with  all  the  zeal  of  his  predecessor ; sent  an  army  into  the 
country;  and  soon  captured  Milan,  Pavia,  and  other 
smaller  towns.  But  he  was  not  to  hold  them  without  a 
struggle.  An  army  under  Louis  Sforza  recaptured  Milan  ; 
defeated  the  troop  sent  there  to  defend  it ; and  proceeded 
to  await  reinforcements  before  marching  against  Louis 
himself.  Bayard  was  not  in  Milan  at  the  time  of  its  capitu- 


62  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


lation,  but  soon  after  the  city  had  opened  its  gates  to  Sforza, 
had  a skirmish  with  fifty  allied  horsemen  against  three 
hundred  of  the  enemy.  So  desperate  was  the  attack  of  his 
own  men  that  the  Italians  gave  way  and  fled  into  the  town. 
The  French  followed  them  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
where  one  of  their  number  — seeing  that  they  would  be 
captured  — cried  out,  “Turn,  men-at-arms;  turn  about 
before  you  are  set  upon  by  a new  force  of  the  enemy ! ” 
Every  one  followed  this  advice  except  Bayard,  who  was  too 
much  interested  in  the  fight  to  hear,  and  followed  the  flee- 
ing soldiers  into  Milan  itself.  Here  the  white  cross  upon 
his  shield  was  recognized  by  the  townspeople,  who  shouted, 
“Take  him!  He  is  a Frenchman!”  So  he  was  sur- 
rounded; disarmed;  and  carried  to  the  house  of  one  of 
the  Italian  officers,  who  thought  so  highly  of  his  valour  in 
the  field,  that  he  treated  him  in  a manner  suited  to  his  rank 
and  merit. 

Bayard  was  now  taken  before  Sforza,  himself,  who  said, 
“ My  good  gentleman,  come  here  and  tell  me  what  haa 
brought  you  to  this  town.” 

“ I had  no  idea  that  I was  alone,”  replied  Bayard.  “ I 
thought  that  my  companions  were  behind  me,  but  they  are 
wiser  than  I and  more  used  to  the  ways  of  war,  or  they 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  made  prisoners  as  well  as 
myself.  In  the  meantime,  in  my  disgrace,  I thank  Heaven 
that  I have  fallen  into  such  good  hands  as  yours.” 

Sforza  was  much  pleased  by  this  brave  address,  and 
asked  what  forces  the  French  commander  had  with  him. 

“ Sir,”  Bayard  answered,  “ they  are  all  picked  men, 
about  eighteen  thousand  in  all,  and  resolved  to  make  the 
Duchy  of  Milan  submit  at  once,  and  for  ever,  to  the  King, 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


63 


their  master ; and  as  for  you,  sir,  I assure  you,  you  will  be 
far  safer  in  Germany  than  here,  for  your  men  cannot  pos- 
sibly resist  us.” 

The  Duke  was  amused  at  this  remark,  and  so  touched 
bv  Bayard’s  behaviour  and  boldness,  that  he  decided  to 
allow  him  his  freedom. 

“ Set  your  mind  at  rest,”  said  he.  “ It  is  my  intention 
to  allow  you  to  go.  Ask  anything  you  like  of  me,  and  I will 
grant  it  you.” 

Such  generosity  fairly  overwhelmed  the  courageous 
Bayard,  who  knelt  upon  one  knee,  and  answered.  “ Sir, 
the  greatest  favour  I can  ask  of  you  is  to  restore  me  my  arms 
and  horse,  and,  believe  me,  I shall  always  be  ready  to  serve 
you  if  I can  do  so  with  honour  to  my  King  and  country.” 

The  Duke  ordered  one  of  his  retainers  to  bring  the  good 
Knight’s  horse  and  arms,  and  when  the  former  arrived, 
Bayard  vaulted  into  the  saddle  with  great  ease  and  agility ; 
thanked  his  captor  again  for  his  generosity ; and  departed 
for  his  own  camp ; where  he  was  welcomed  with  great 
enthusiasm  by  the  troops.  They  were  much  astonished 
to  learn  that  he  had  been  allowed  to  return  without  ransom. 

Not  long  after  this  a truce  was  agreed  upon  between  the 
French  and  Spanish  armies  which  was  to  last  for  a few 
months.  But  this  did  not  please  the  warlike  spirits  of  num- 
bers of  the  soldiers.  So  restless  did  a few  Frenchmen 
become,  through  lack  of  occupation,  that  they  decided  to 
challenge  a number  of  the  Spaniards  to  a battle  in  the  open, 
before  two  judges,  who  were  to  see  that  there  was  fair  play. 
Chevalier  Bayard  was  among  those  who  pined  for  combat, 
and  through  his  exertions,  a fight  was  arranged  between 
thirteen  of  his  own  men  — including  himself — and  thirteen 


64  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Spaniards.  The  time  and  place  was  settled  upon,  and  the 
following  rules:  First,  that  whoever  passed  beyond  cer- 
tain bounds  was  to  be  excluded  from  the  combat : Second, 
that  those  who  should  be  dismounted  should  engage  no 
more:  Third,  that  if  one  party  could  not  entirely  defeat 
the  other,  they  were  both  to  quit  the  field  with  equal  honour. 

When  the  contest  began,  the  Spaniards  feared  the 
superior  fighting  qualities  of  the  French,  and  so  attempted 
to  take  advantage  of  the  second  ruling.  They  attacked 
the  horses  of  the  Frenchmen  and  killed  eleven  of  them 
before  an  hour  was  past;  those  of  Bayard  and  another 
knight  being  the  only  ones  to  escape,  through  the  skill  of 
their  riders.  And  although  they  were  now  only  two  against 
thirteen,  they  defended  themselves  behind  the  dead  horses 
of  their  friends  with  such  coolness  and  courage,  that  the 
Spaniards  were  kept  at  bay  until  evening,  when  the  judges 
put  an  end  to  the  affair  and  declared  the  fight  to  be  a drawn 
battle.  Bayard  was  most  highly  complimented  for  his 
bravery  and  courage  in  this  skirmish,  and  his  fame  as  a 
warrior  became  known  to  all. 

Not  long  after  this  event,  the  truce  between  the  con- 
tending armies  came  to  an  end,  and  a fierce  battle  was 
fought  which  resulted  in  a defeat  for  the  French.  As  they 
retreated,  Bayard  placed  himself  in  the  rear  to  defend  the 
beaten  army,  and  fought  with  such  obstinacy  against  the 
advancing  Spaniards,  that  they  were  held  in  check.  The 
troops  were  forced  across  the  river  Garrillano ; intrenched 
themselves  upon  the  opposite  bank ; and  there  awaited 
the  onset  which  they  knew  would  soon  come ; while  Bay- 
ard — with  one  other  cavalier  — was  the  last  to  cross  the 
bridge  over  the  stream.  As  they  did  so,  nearly  two  hun- 


BAYARD  DEFENDING  THE  BRIDGE  OF  GARRILLANO 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


65 


dred  Spaniards  advanced  to  take  the  causeway,  but,  noth- 
ing daunted  at  this  superior  number,  the  brave  Chevalier 
placed  himself  at  the  end  of  the  bridge  to  dispute  their 
passage,  and  directed  his  companion  to  hasten  and  bring 
up  some  one  to  help  him.  With  lance  in  hand,  he  rushed 
upon  the  Spaniards  on  the  bridge,  and  attacked  them  with 
so  much  fury  that  two  or  three  were  staggered  and  forced 
into  the  water,  where  they  were  unable  to  swim  because  of 
their  heavy  armour.  Like  an  angry  lion  he  held  the  cause- 
way, and  wielded  his  sword  with  so  much  spirit,  that  the 
Spaniards  did  not  think  him  a man,  but  a devil.  In  fact, 
he  held  the  passage  against  every  one,  until  his  comrade 
came  to  his  aid  with  two  hundred  men-at-arms,  who  com- 
pelled the  Spaniards  to  abandon  the  bridge,  and  chased 
them  for  over  a mile  from  it,  until  they  ran  into  the  main, 
Spanish  army. 

But  misfortune  too  often  follows  upon  the  heels  of  vic- 
tory. The  brave  Chevalier  had  pursued  the  foe,  as  they 
retreated,  and,  with  his  usual  rashness,  had  come  too  close 
to  the  hostile  line.  As  he  was  the  last  to  retreat  before  the 
enemy,  he  was  quite  alone,  when  his  horse  — almost  worn 
out  with  fatigue  — fell  beneath  him ; an  accident  which 
was  immediately  perceived  by  a detachment  of  Spanish 
cavalry,  which  now  rushed  upon  him  and  compelled  his 
surrender.  But,  as  luck  would  have  it,  some  of  his  own  party 
discovered  that  he  was  not  with  them,  and  so  made  after 
him  on  the  gallop;  defeated  the  enemy;  and  once  more 
set  free  their  gallant  leader.  As  he  returned  to  his  own 
lines,  he  was  greeted  with  cheer  after  cheer,  for  the  troops 
had  seen  his  fearless  defence  of  the  bridge  and  could  not 
too  highly  compliment  him  upon  his  behaviour. 


66  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Thus  the  fame  of  Chevalier  Bayard  as  a warrior 
grew  greater  day  by  day,  until  he  was  the  best  known  and 
most  talked-of  knight  in  all  of  France.  Nor  was  his  fame 
due  solely  to  these  feats  of  arms  which  so  astonished  every 
one.  A courtesy,  honesty,  and  cheerfulness  of  spirit  was  his, 
and  a kindliness  that  often  showed  itself  in  gracious  acts 
to  those  weaker  than  himself.  He  was  respected  by  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  was  admired  by  both 
friend  and  foe.  Rich  he  was  not,  nor  was  he  likely  to  be, 
because  of  his  great  charity  to  many  poor  people  who  con- 
tinually asked  him  for  money  and  assistance.  With 
patriotic  disinterestedness  he  continued  to  fight  for  King 
and  country,  and  to  use  his  power  and  influence  in  behalf 
of  those  who  controlled  the  armies  of  France. 

Not  many  months  after  the  fight  at  the  bridge,  in  which 
the  Chevalier  so  distinguished  himself,  war  broke  out  with 
the  Venetians.  Gaston  de  Foix  was  in  charge  of  the  French 
troops  which  marched  against  the  city  of  Brescia,  — held 
by  the  Venetians  in  force,  and  ably  defended  by  them. 
Bayard  was  with  the  French  army,  full  of  his  customary 
spirit  and  cheerfulness  ■ — in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
just  recovered  from  a severe  attack  of  fever — and  he  gal- 
lantly placed  himself  in  the  front  of  the  troops  when  the 
attack  on  the  Citadel  began.  A desperate  fight  was  soon 
in  progress;  the  air  resounded  with  the  shouts  of  the 
soldiers;  while  the  battle  cries  of  France,  Bayard,  and  St. 
Mark,  echoed  from  every  side.  The  Chevalier  charged 
upon  the  fortifications  at  the  head  of  his  company,  and, 
in  the  shock  of  arms,  received  a severe  wound  from  a pike 
thrust  in  the  thigh,  so  that  he  soon  was  unable  to  walk,  and 
fell  back  into  the  arms  of  two  of  his  archers,  who  carried 
him  away  from  the  heat  of  battle. 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


67 


As  he  was  removed  from  the  field,  a Captain  came  up  to 
him  and  expressed  sincere  sorrow  at  seeing  him  so  badly 
wounded.  “ Push  on,”  said  the  Chevalier,  as  he  looked 
up  at  him,  “ the  town  is  ours ; put  the  finishing  stroke  to 
the  victory  which  is  now  obtained  — I cannot  follow  you  — 
the  period  of  my  life  is  now  at  a close.”  These  words 
seemed  to  be  the  last  that  he  would  speak,  and  raised  the 
courage  of  his  soldiers  to  the  height  of  frenzy  when  they 
heard  what  he  had  said.  In  spite  of  the  overwhelming 
numbers  against  them,  they  pushed  on  and  rushed  furi- 
ously upon  the  Italians,  crying,  “ Let  us  revenge  the  death 
of  the  most  accomplished  Captain  which  France  ever  saw  ! ” 
So  severe  was  their  onset,  that  the  town  was  taken. 

But  while  the  soldiers  were  pillaging  and  looting,  the 
two,  good  archers  bore  the  Chevalier  to  a house,  the  mis- 
tress of  which  had  concealed  her  two  daughters  in  a hay 
loft,  for  she  feared  violence  at  the  hands  of  the  rough  sol- 
diers. Shedding  a flood  of  tears,  she  sank  upon  her  knees 
and  besought  Bayard  to  spare  the  life  of  those  within  the 
household.  The  appeal  touched  the  noble  Chevalier, 
whose  compassion  was  equal  to  his  bravery.  “ Rise, 
madam,”  he  said,  “ and  have  no  fear,  for  you  have  a gentle- 
man in  the  house  who  has  never  done  a dishonourable  deed. 
Both  you  and  your  daughters  may  rest  in  peace.  Archers, 
guard  the  door  and  let  no  person  enter  save  by  my  orders  ! ” 
And  thus  violence  and  plunder  were  kept  from  the  house 
in  which  he  lay. 

After  some  months  he  was  again  able  to  take  the  field, 
as  the  wound  from  which  he  suffered  was  not  mortal,  and 
rapidly  healed.  The  French  army  had  advanced  to  Ra- 
venna, when  he  joined  it,  and  it  was  soon  to  meet  in  combat 


68  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


with  the  Italians  — now  stronger  than  ever  — and  burning 
to  avenge  the  defeat  at  Brescia.  Before  the  battle  an 
Astrologer  was  consulted  by  the  French  General  Gaston 
de  Foix,  who  inquired  what  was  to  be  the  fate  of  the  contest. 
“ The  French  will  conquer,”  said  the  Astrologer,  “ but 
the  victory  will  be  purchased  at  a very  dear  price.” 

After  this  remark,  several  of  the  officers  asked  if  they 
were  to  be  killed;  to  which  the  Astrologer  replied,  “ You 
will  not  fall  here,  but  in  other  engagements.”  Bayard 
alone,  seemed  to  be  indifferent  about  his  own  fate,  and 
looked  about  him  with  a smile  of  contempt.  “ Chevalier,” 
said  Gaston  de  Foix,  “ since  you  entertain  yourself  at  the 
expense  of  the  others,  you  must  consult  the  Astrologer.” 
“ My  Prince,”  replied  the  Chevalier,  “ as  I have  no  faith 
in  his  predictions,  I will  have  no  recourse  to  his  knowl- 
edge.” But  Gaston  persisted  in  his  request,  so  Bayard 
held  out  his  hand  to  the  Astrologer,  and  asked  him  in  a 
jocose  manner,  “whether  he  should  ever  amass  riches  — 
whether  he  should  obtain  high  posts  of  honour  — and 
whether  he  was  to  fall  in  the  battle.” 

“ Riches,”  replied  the  fortune  teller,  “ you  will  never 
have,  for  your  heart  is  not  set  upon  them.  As  to  honour, 
there  is  no  Frenchman  who  shall  receive  it  in  a more  plenti- 
ful measure.  You  will  serve  a King,  after  him  whom  you 
now  obey,  who  will  both  love  and  esteem  you.  You  shall 
escape  this  bloody  day,  but  in  twelve  years  you  will  be 
killed,  and  I prophesy  also  that  if  you  are  not  slain  by  a 
cannon,  or  a musket  shot,  you  will  live  many  years  more.” 
Next  day  a furious  battle  was  fought  in  which  over  four- 
teen thousand  men  were  killed,  among  them  Gaston  de 
Foix,  — the  brave  leader  of  the  French  army.  His  soldiers, 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


69 


irritated  by  his  loss,  made  a second  attack  on  the  town, 
carried  it  by  assault,  and  put  all  to  death  who  came  in  their 
way.  Bayard  acted  like  a hero;  was  in  the  forefront  of 
battle  at  all  times;  and  did  much  to  inspire  the  troops 
with  fortitude  and  courage. 

After  this  the  Chevalier  saw  little  service  until  Henry 
the  Eighth  of  England  invaded  the  soil  of  France  with  an 
immense  army.  Bayard  was  sent,  with  a large  force,  to 
stem  the  advance  of  the  English,  and  met  them  near  Guine- 
gate,  where,  to  the  dishonour  of  the  French,  they  used 
their  spurs  more  than  their  swords,  and  fled  so  precipi- 
tously, that  the  fight  has  been  justly  called  “ the  battle  of 
the  spurs.”  The  Chevalier,  with  a few  others,  faced  about, 
in  the  disorganization,  with  the  endeavour  to  combat  his  ad- 
versaries with  valour,  and,  for  a time,  succeeded  in  check- 
ing the  advance  of  the  victorious  troops,  until  they  sur- 
rounded him  on  every  side.  Seeing  a knight,  not  far  dis- 
tant, who  had  dismounted  from  his  horse  and  was  beneath 
a tree,  he  galloped  up  to  him,  sword  in  hand,  and  made 
him  his  prisoner.  But  he  now  found  that  it  was  impossible 
to  escape  from  the  surrounding  English,  and  therefore 
said  to  his  captive,  “ You  were  my  prisoner,  sir,  but  for 
the  present  I shall  be  yours.  Here  is  my  sword,  but  should 
the  English  attack  me,  you  must  promise  to  return  it  to  me, 
upon  your  word  of  honour.”  To  this  the  Englishman 
assented,  and  just  then  his  country’s  troops  came  up  to 
make  Bayard  prisoner;  but  he,  resuming  his  sword,  de- 
fended himself  so  well,  that  no  one  cared  to  come  near  the 
sweep  of  his  arm.  At  this  moment  some  officers  arrived, 
to  whom  it  was  left  to  decide  whose  prisoner  Bayard  should 
be,  and  who  decided  in  favour  of  the  gentleman  to  whom  the 


70  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Chevalier  had  given  his  sword.  So  the  brave  knight  sur- 
rendered himself  and  went  to  the  English  camp,  where  he 
remained  for  some  days,  until,  desiring  to  depart,  he  asked 
permission  of  his  captor  to  go.  “ That  you  can  do,”  re- 
plied the  Knight,  “ If  you  first  pay  your  ransom.” 

“ Then,  sir,”  replied  the  Chevalier,  “ your  ransom  must 
be  paid  first,  and  you  will  be  of  my  opinion  when  you  con- 
sider that  if  I was  your  prisoner,  you  have  been  mine  also ; 
on  that  account,  therefore,  we  owe  nothing  to  each  other. 
But  if  we  cannot  agree  upon  this  point,  let  us  leave  it  to  the 
decision  of  the  English  officers.”  “ I will  do  this,”  an- 
swered the  Knight.  So  they  submitted  it  to  the  other 
gentlemen  in  command,  who  determined  in  favour  of  the 
lion-hearted  Bayard,  and  allowed  him  to  leave  the  camp 
as  rich  as  when  he  came. 

Thus  the  good  Chevalier  was  permitted  to  return  to  his 
own  command,  where  he  was  received  with  rejoicing  by 
his  troops,  who  idolized  their  brave  and  courteous  leader. 
This  episode  heightened  his  fame  which  was  great  at  this 
time,  but  did  not  reach  its  full  splendour  until  the  rule  of 
Francis  the  first,  successor  to  Charles  the  Eighth,  and  a 
man  of  strength  and  tenacity  of  purpose.  This  monarch 
levied  a powerful  army  for  the  invasion  of  Italy,  and  ad- 
vanced to  the  Alps  in  order  to  cross  into  the  rich  and  pros- 
perous country  which  lay  before  him.  But  he  was  met  by 
the  Italians  and  hardy  Swiss  at  Marignano,  where  a furi- 
ous battle  was  fought.  The  Swiss  — unable  to  drive  the 
French  from  their  batteries  — attacked  that  portion  of  the 
French  army  which  the  King  commanded,  and  here  raged 
a sanguinary  contest.  Chevalier  Bayard  — who  was  in  the 
thick  of  the  fight  — had  his  horse  killed  under  him,  and, 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


71 


mounting  another,  returned  to  the  battle,  only  to  rush  into 
the  oncoming  battalions  of  the  enemy.  His  charger  re- 
ceived many  wounds;  broke  his  reins,  and  galloped  off 
with  him  in  the  direction  of  the  French  army;  where  he 
would  surely  have  been  captured,  had  he  not  been  stopped 
by  a strong  fence, — a fact  which  allowed  his  courageous 
rider  to  dismount,  throw  away  his  arms,  creep  along  a 
ditch  to  his  own  lines,  and  so  escape  that  capture  which 
surely  had  menaced  him. 

Next  day  the  armies  rested  and  Francis  bestowed  the 
order  of  knighthood  upon  the  good  Chevalier  Bayard.  He 
called  him  before  all  of  his  officers,  and  said,  “ By  this 
hand  I create  thee  one  of  my  knights,  let  no  man  envy  you 
your  distinction,  since  none  is  more  worthy  of  it  than  you.” 
But  Bayard  saw  himself  preferred  above  many  princes  and 
great  captains,  and  therefore  answered,  “ I feel,  your 
Royal  Highness,  that  I am  unworthy  of  so  great  an  hon- 
our.” To  which  the  King  replied,  “ I have  weighed  the 
matter  in  my  mind  and  I must  be  obeyed.”  So  Bayard 
knelt  down ; drew  his  sword  from  his  scabbard ; and  pre- 
sented it  to  the  King ; who  smote  him  upon  the  shoulders 
saying,  “ Rise,  knight.”  The  Chevalier  rose,  took  his 
sword  in  his  hand,  and  looking  at  it,  cried,  in  a loud  voice, 
“ How  glorious  have  you  been  to  have  assisted  in  my 
knighting  from  the  greatest  monarch  in  the  world.  For 
the  future  I shall  look  upon  you  as  a consecrated  relic,  and 
shall  never  use  you  except  against  the  enemies  of  the 
Church.” 

Some  time  after  this  Bayard  defended  the  town  of 
Meziers  against  a much  superior  force.  The  leader  of  the 
attacking  party  sent  a trumpet  to  the  Chevalier,  summoning 


72  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


him  to  surrender  upon  honourable  terms,  but  to  this  he 
received  the  answer,  “ That  he  would  defend  the  charge 
committed  to  his  care  whilst  he  had  a swyord  by  his  side 
and  a hand  to  draw  it  from  the  scabbard.”  So  the  siege 
immediately  began,  and  lasted  a month,  at  the  end  of 
which  the  besiegers  became  convinced  that  the  town  could 
not  be  subdued  with  Bayard  inside,  and  so  withdrew. 
“ Why,  with  an  army  of  forty  thousand  men  and  an  hun- 
dred pieces  of  cannon,  could  you  not  take  that  small  pigeon 
house  ? ” the  leader  of  the  retreating  troops  was  asked, 
a short  time  afterwards.  “ Because,”  he  replied,  “ it  was 
defended  by  an  eagle  and  his  young  ones,  who  were  more 
to  be  feared  than  the  eagles  of  the  Empire.” 

This  well  illustrates  the  respect  in  which  Bayard  was 
held  by  his  enemies,  but  these  were,  at  last,  to  bring  his 
noble  life  to  a close.  The  French  army  was  at  a place  called 
Ravisingua,  where  a sharp  fight  was  in  progress  with 
troops  led  by  those  hostile  to  the  King,  wThen  the  leader  of 
the  men  of  France  became  disabled  by  a wound,  and  so 
intrusted  the  chief  command  to  Bayard.  Like  a torrent, 
the  brave  Chevalier  fell  upon  some  platoons  of  musketeers 
in  his  front,  and  such  was  the  fury  of  his  attack  that  they 
broke  before  him.  When  in  the  forefront  of  battle  he  was 
suddenly  hit  by  a musket  ball  which  wounded  him  so 
desperately  that  he  reeled  in  his  saddle.  “ I am  killed,” 
he  said.  “ O Lord  have  mercy  on  me.”  And  while  he 
repeated  these  words,  he  kissed  the  handle  of  his  sword — 
which  was  in  the  form  of  a crucifix  — and  then  fell  to  the 
ground.  Some  soldiers  placed  him  against  the  foot  of  a 
tree  with  his  face  to  the  enemy,  for  he  told  them  to  so  leave 
him.  “ For  whilst  I live,”  he  said,  “ I never  turned  my 


CHEVALIER  BAYARD 


73 


back  against  any  man,  nor  will  I do  it  now,  when  I am 
dying.”  His  old  friends  and  companions  gathered  about 
him,  weeping,  but  he  spoke  to  them  and  said,  “ Weep  not, 
for  I die  in  the  bed  of  honour.  I have  lived  long  enough. 
The  only  thing  that  distresses  me  is  that  I can  no  longer 
serve  my  Prince.”  Shortly  after  this,  he  breathed  his  last, 
and  a noble  and  chivalrous  knight  had  ceased  to  battle  for 
France  and  the  King. 

When  Francis  heard  of  his  death  he  was  so  deeply 
afflicted  that  he  wept,  and,  after  a bitter  defeat  which  was 
soon  administered  to  his  army,  was  often  heard  to  say, 
“ O that  Bayard  had  only  been  with  me,  then  I would  not 
have  lost  the  fight.”  All  ranks  of  men  hastened  to  meet 
the  remains  of  the  Chevalier,  as  they  were  carried  through 
the  French  provinces  to  his  final,  resting  place,  and  with 
tears  and  many  protestations  of  affection,  paid  the  last, 
sad  honours  to  this  exalted  warrior.  Doubtless  he  was  the 
most  distinguished  character  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived, 
for  he  was  prudent,  gallant,  enterprising,  and  courageous. 
He  was  cool  in  council,  but  impetuous  and  brave  in  battle ; 
full  of  mercy  to  the  vanquished  foe,  and  steady  and  sin- 
cere in  his  affections.  As  his  piety  and  temperance  were 
chief  among  his  virtues,  he  most  justly  deserved  the  sur- 
name of  the  Good  Chevalier,  Without  Fear  And  Without 
Reproach. 


COUNT  PAP  PENH  EIM : THE  TROUBLESOME 
[i594—  1632] 

COUNT  Pappenheim  lived  at  a time  when  Germany 
was  in  a state  of  the  greatest  turmoil.  Armed 
bodies  of  men  marched  from  one  end  of  the  country 
to  the  other  and  terrified  the  inhabitants.  Cities  were 
sacked ; towns  were  despoiled  of  all  their  valuables ; and 
farms  robbed  of  their  grain  and  horses.  People  who 
wished  to  lead  a peaceful  existence  were  unable  to  do  so 
because  of  lack  of  proper  protection.  It  is  a distressing 
period  of  history  and  one  which  bred  men  of  rough  and 
violent  natures. 

For  thirty  years  this  condition  of  affairs  existed,  and  for 
thirty  years  the  soil  of  Germany  was  trampled  with  the 
feet  of  the  contending  armies.  The  struggle  was  not  be- 
tween nations,  but  between  men  of  different  religious 
beliefs  who  spoke  the  same  language  and  were  often  con- 
nected by  blood.  It  was  a war  between  Catholic  and 
Protestant  Germany;  between  those  who  favoured  the 
Catholic  religion  and  those  who  were  of  the  Protestant 
belief.  Those  of  one  faith  were  marshalled  under  inde- 
pendent princes  against  those  of  another.  These  fought, 
not  so  much  to  preserve  their  position  as  political  leaders, 
as  to  preserve  their  religious  rights. 

When  Charles  the  Fifth  of  Germany  abdicated  his  throne, 

74 


GOTTFRIED  HEINRICH,  COUNT  PAPPENHEIAI 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


75 


the  Empire  was  torn  with  the  political  quarrels  of  princes 
who  governed  separate,  German  states.  Three  religious 
sects  existed : The  Catholics,  Lutherans,  and  Calvinists. 
The  believers  in  these  different  faiths  were  continually  at 
odds.  In  vain  the  successors  of  Charles  V attempted  to 
reconcile  the  warring  factions.  Germany  was  in  a turmoil 
and  war  was  the  inevitable  outcome. 

But  there  was  peace  until  the  death  of  Emperor  Matthias 
in  1619.  His  successor,  Ferdinand  II,  was  a bigoted 
Prince,  a staunch  adherent  to  the  Catholic  faith,  and  an 
enemy  to  every  man  who  differed  from  him  in  religion. 
So  harsh  was  he  to  the  Protestants  that  he  forbade  them 
from  having  meetings,  demolished  their  places  of  worship, 
appointed  only  Catholics  as  magistrates,  and  inflicted 
every  known  cruelty  upon  those  who  refused  to  accept  the 
Roman  Catholic  faith. 

This  monarch  was  hereditary  ruler  of  Bohemia ; a king- 
dom of  Germany,  separated  from  the  adjoining  states  by 
high  mountains  and  peopled  for  the  most  part  by  Prot- 
estants. The  Bohemians  were  particularly  hostile  to  the 
dictation  of  Ferdinand,  and  became  so  incensed  by  his 
high-handed  treatment  of  them,  that  they  chose  another 
ruler : Frederick  V,  son-in-law  of  James  I of  England, 
and  father  of  the  gallant  Prince  Rupert.  The  newly  elected 
sovereign  hoped  to  be  assisted  by  British  power,  but  this 
was  not  to  be.  James  of  England  was  too  timid  to  send 
him  aid  and  the  result  was  that  he  was  driven  out  of 
Bohemia  by  the  imperial  army.  The  battle  of  Prague 
(1620)  decided  his  fate,  and,  forced  to  fly  to  Sweden  as  a 
fugitive,  his  possessions  were  given  to  the  Duke  of  Ba- 
varia. 


76  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Now  followed  a persecution  of  the  Protestants  that  was 
most  cruel  and  unrelenting.  Those  of  this  faith  who  had 
the  misfortune  to  live  in  Bohemia  were  driven  from  their 
homes.  Protestants  of  every  rank,  age,  and  condition  were 
refused  legal  justice  and  were  put  to  death,  while  ministers 
and  teachers  were  either  burned  or  beheaded.  Was  it  a 
wonder  that  the  Protestant  princes  of  Germany  arrayed 
themselves  against  the  Emperor?  They  rallied  under  the 
leadership  of  Christian,  King  of  Denmark,  resolved  to 
curb  the  power  of  the.  Catholic  King  and  win  back  some 
of  the  rights,  liberties,  and  possessions  that  they  had  lost. 
The  Emperor  Ferdinand  was  financially  crippled  and  in  no 
condition  to  meet  this  powerful  confederation. 

A great  noble  of  Bohemia,  Wallenstein  by  name,  offered 
to  lend  him  his  aid.  Rich,  powerful,  and  ambitious,  he 
soon  raised  an  immense  army,  composed  of  outlaws, 
robbers  and  adventurers  from  all  nationalities.  With  this 
lawless  following,  he  advanced  against  the  Protestant 
forces.  Villages  and  towns  which  lay  in  the  path  of  his 
rough  followers  were  forced  to  pay  tribute  to  him.  His 
men  lived  on  the  land  and  satisfied  their  hunger  by  rob- 
bery and  plunder.  They  were  reckless,  wild  and  sav- 
age. 

About  this  period  the  name  of  Count  Pappenheim  begins 
to  grow  prominent  in  the  records  of  the  fighting,  and  from 
now  on  he  was  in  the  thick  of  the  numerous  passages  at 
arms  which  occurred  between  the  different  bodies  of 
troops.  He  was  about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  having  been 
born  on  May  the  twenty-ninth,  1594.  He  had  been  a wild 
and  reckless  youth,  full  of  vitality  and  courage;  had  con- 
tinually neglected  his  studies,  and  although  sent  by  his 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


77 


parents  to  the  High  Schools  at  Altdorf  and  Tubingen,  did 
not  seem  to  profit  much  by  the  instruction  which  he  was 
supposed  to  receive.  In  fact  he  far  preferred  hunting; 
shooting ; and  horse-back  riding  to  his  books,  and  became 
physically  sound  and  well-muscled,  to  the  neglect  of  his 
mental  training.  Perhaps  this  was  just  as  well,  for  his 
short  life  was  to  be  one  in  which  his  strong  physique  and 
iron  nerve  were  to  be  of  far  greater  advantage  than  mental 
proficiency. 

At  twenty  years  of  age  young  Pappenheim  joined  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  and  became  a most  zealous  ad- 
herent to  the  cause  of  his  religion.  His  taste  for  military 
life  soon  led  him  to  enlist  under  the  banner  of  King  Sigis- 
mund  of  Poland,  and  later  under  that  of  Maximilian, 
Duke  of  Bavaria : the  head  of  the  Catholic  League.  He' 
showed  such  an  aptitude  for  hard  work  and  such  a love 
for  his  profession,  that  he  was  quickly  promoted  to  the 
position  of  Colonel  of  Cavalry,  — a place  which  he  filled 
with  the  greatest  success.  He  was  tremendously  popular 
with  his  men,  who  saw  in  him  a soldier  who  would  undergo 
every  hardship  which  they  themselves  had  to  stand ; who 
would  live  in  the  open  and  sleep  under  his  own  horse,  if 
necessary.  This  made  his  troop  a favourite  one,  and  one 
which  the  soldiers  were  glad  to  join.  There  was  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  recruits  for  service  under  young  Pappen- 
heim. 

When  Ferdinand  marched  to  battle  with  Frederick, 
(the  Protestant  King  of  Bohemia)  and  met  him  near  the 
town  of  Prague;  Pappenheim  was  in  the  army  of  the 
Catholic  King.  We  have  seen  that  Frederick  was  de- 
feated and  that  his  country  soon  fell  into  the  power  of  the 


78  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Catholics,  yet  he  put  up  a good  fight  for  his  kingdom  and 
there  were  many  left  dead  upon  that  bloody  field. 

Pappenheim’s  horsemen  were  in  the  thick  of  the  battle 
and  showed  such  dash  and  bravery  that  they  made  a name 
for  themselves.  Kept  in  reserve  for  a portion  of  the  time, 
they  were  eventually  hurled  against  the  line  of  Protestant 
troops,  just  as  they  broke  and  began  to  retreat.  With  a 
wild  cheer  the  squadrons  of  cavalry  plunged  into  the  fray 
and  cut  down  some  of  the  fugitives  with  their  broad- 
swords. But  they  were  not  to  have  everything  their  own 
way  and  were  soon  met  with  a counter-charge  on  the  part 
of  the  cavalry  under  Frederick.  The  fighting  was  severe, 
— so  severe  that  a portion  of  the  Pappenheimers  gave  way 
and  retreated. 

This  infuriated  their  brave  leader  beyond  measure, 
and,  seizing  the  colours,  he  rode  into  the  open,  calling  upon 
them  to  follow.  The  men  rallied,  came  back,  and  rushed 
once  more  into  the  fray ; only  to  be  again  beaten  off.  Pap- 
penheim  now  showed  that  bull-dog  tenacity  which  made 
him  famous.  He  re-formed  his  shattered  battalions, 
galloped  to  the  front  of  the  line,  and  charged  with  all  the 
impetuosity  of  his  fiery  nature.  This  time  he  was  suc- 
cessful. The  enemy  broke  before  the  onslaught  and  fled 
across  the  plain.  Pappenheim,  himself,  was  struck  by  a 
musket  ball  and  severely  gashed  by  a sword-thrust.  He 
fell  beneath  his  horse  and  became  insensible. 

His  horse  was  prostrated  by  a missile  and  lurched  to  the 
ground,  rolling  partly  upon  the  seemingly  lifeless  body  of 
the  cavalryman.  There  they  lay  for  many  hours  while  the 
Pappenheimers  were  pursuing  the  stampeded  troops  of 
King  Frederick  through  the  streets  of  Prague.  The 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


79 


gallant  Colonel  lay  upon  the  battle-field  for  a long  time, 
but  at  length  he  was  discovered  by  one  of  his  men  who  was 
returning  from  the  chase  of  fugitive  Protestants.  He  was 
carried  to  a house,  revived  by  stimulants,  and  eventually 
nursed  back  into  health  and  strength. 

This  taste  of  warfare  had  given  him  such  a love  for  the 
game  that  he  was  soon  in  search  of  further  employment 
in  his  chosen  profession.  There  was  wTar  at  this  time  in 
Italy  between  the  Spaniards  and  Italians,  so  Pappenheim 
eagerly  sought  an  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself. 
He  was  offered  the  command  of  a regiment  of  Cuirassiers 
allied  to  the  Spanish  troops,  and  with  these  he  spent  two 
years  of  vigorous  campaigning  on  the  plains  of  Lombardy. 
So  successful  was  he  that  his  men  became  famous.  They 
were  called  The  Pappenheimers,  and  were  known  as  the 
most  fearless  and  aggressive  band  among  the  Spanish 
fighters.  They  were  supposed  to  be  fed  by  the  army  com- 
mander, but  this  was  done  so  badly  that  plunder  was  the 
only  means  of  gaining  enough  food  to  keep  in  good  physical 
condition.  Their  pay  was  also  small  and  irregular.  No 
wonder,  then,  that  the  troopers  stole  and  robbed  when- 
ever they  could,  and  thus  became  a terror  to  the  peaceful 
inhabitants  of  the  lands  through  which  they  travelled. 

These  Cuirassiers  were  mounted  on  hardy  horses ; were 
armed  with  a sword  and  two  pistols ; and  wore  a helmet  of 
considerable  thickness  upon  their  heads.  Their  chests 
and  backs  were  protected  by  steel  plates.  They  were 
trained  to  gallop  at  full  speed  upon  the  enemy ; fire  their 
pistols  when  close  enough  to  do  damage ; and  then  to  draw 
sabre  and  charge.  There  were  eight  companies  of  one 
hundred  men  each  in  Pappenheim’s  regiment;  or  eight 


80  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


hundred  in  all,  and  they  were  of  various  nationalities : 
Croats;  Poles;  Germans  and  a few  Spaniards.  Every 
man  was  physically  strong  and  nearly  all  were  of  a reck- 
less disposition.  Pappenheim,  himself,  was  a strict  dis- 
ciplinarian and  insisted  on  certain  rules  of  conduct ; but 
he  had  a difficult  time  in  restraining  his  wild  followers, 
who  joined  his  troop  because  they  liked  him  and  recog- 
nized a leader  who  had  the  same  love  for  fight  that  they 
themselves  possessed. 

In  1626  Pappenheim  was  recalled  to  Germany  by  Duke 
Maximilian  of  Austria,  — who  was  a staunch  Catholic 
and  adherent  to  the  reigning  King  of  Germany.  A revolt 
of  the  peasants  had  followed  certain  edicts  of  his,  and  he 
felt  that  in  Pappenheim  he  could  find  a leader  who  could 
wage  a successful  campaign  against  these  erring  subjects. 
Ever  ready  for  fighting,  this  offer  was  gladly  accepted  by 
the  Count,  and  he  immediately  prepared  for  action. 
Gathering  together  a small  army,  he  marched  into  the 
country  of  the  hostile  peasants  and  brought  fire  and  sword 
to  their  very  hearths.  In  a month’s  time  he  had  entirely 
subdued  the  refractory  subjects  and  won  a long  series  of 
victories.  Forty  thousand  peasants  are  said  to  have  been 
killed  in  this  campaign.  A terrible  record  of  slaughter, 
indeed ! But  these  were  fierce  times  when  religious  dif- 
ferences seemed  to  stir  men’s  hearts  with  a vindictive 
hatred  for  one  another.  Warfare  to-day  is  never  carried  on 
with  such  disregard  for  the  rights  and  property  of  others. 
In  those  times  men  were  cruel,  savage,  and  absolutely 
selfish.  They  pillaged  and  murdered  with  no  thought  of 
the  suffering  which  they  administered  upon  the  defence- 
less persons.  It  is  terrible  to  read  of  the  needless  slaughter 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


81 


which  occurred ; yet  the  German  leaders  seemed  to  think 
such  measures  necessary  for  their  success,  and  turned  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  cries  of  mercy  which  they  heard  on  all  sides. 

The  Emperor  of  Germany  was  blinded  by  the  success  of 
his  arms.  His  generals  were  everywhere  victorious  and 
Christian  IV  of  Denmark,  who,  as  we  have  said,  came  to 
the  aid  of  the  Protestant  Princes ; had  retired.  It  looked 
as  if  the  Catholic  cause  would  be  triumphant,  but  here  a 
heroic  figure  came  upon  the  scene.  This  was  Gustavus 
Adolphus  of  Sweden,  — The  Lion  of  the  North.  Cham- 
pioning the  Protestant  religion  and  allying  himself  with 
the  German  Princes  of  the  Protestant  faith,  he  swept  down 
upon  the  interior  of  Germany  with  a small  army  of  ex- 
cellently well  trained  soldiers.  He,  himself,  had  a noble 
character,  and  was  respected  by  all.  His  soldiers  were 
moral,  God  fearing  men,  and  quite  different  from  the  rough 
following  of  Wallenstein  and  Tilly,  — an  old  commander 
of  well-tried  courage  wTho  led  an  army  for  the  Emperor  of 
Germany. 

Pappenheim  — with  his  cavalry- — was  now  allied  to  the 
aged  Tilly,  and  with  him  attempted  to  stem  the  advance 
of  the  victorious  Swedes.  His  force  was  enlarged  by  the 
addition  of  several  thousand  foot,  until  he  commanded  a 
small  army  of  seventeen  thousand  men.  With  these  he 
surrounded  and  captured  the  Duke  of  Lauenburg,  — com- 
mander of  a Protestant  force — and  then  marched  north- 
ward to  lay  siege  to  the  city  of  Magdeburg,  the  most  pros- 
perous town  of  Northern  Germany : one  of  the  richest  and 
most  populous.  It  had  been  well  fortified  by  Falkenburg, 
whom  Gustavus  Adolphus  had  sent  there,  and  this  com- 
mander-in- chief  defied  the  courageous  Pappenheim  when 


82  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  demanded  its  surrender.  For  several  months  he  cor- 
responded with  the  stout  defender  and  tried  to  win  the 
city  council  back  to  the  side  of  the  Catholics.  But  Falken- 
burg  was  loyal  to  Gustavus  Adolphus,  although  a number 
of  the  more  influential  citizens  begged  him  to  give  up  the 
town  without  a defence.  He  had  twenty-five  hundred 
men  and  some  citizen  militia  to  man  his  works,  which  were 
strong.  He  laboured  continually  to  make  these  stronger 
and  threw  up  some  high  mounds  of  earth  on  either  side 
of  the  river.  These  were  mounted  with  cannon  and  were 
quite  formidable.  Relying  on  his  ability  to  hold  out  until 
Gustavus  Adolphus  should  come  to  his  relief,  he  defied 
the  impulsive  Pappenheim  and  sent  his  ambassadors  away 
with  disdain. 

The  siege  of  this  place  was  long  and  tedious;  quite 
galling  indeed  to  Pappenheim,  who  was  of  a fiery  and  im- 
pulsive disposition.  Tilly  had  left  him  to  blockade  it 
while  he  marched  to  intercept  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  to 
delay  his  progress  towards  the  relief  of  the  town.  But  the 
Lion  of  the  North  was  impeded  in  his  advance  by  the 
Electors  of  the  Provinces  through  which  he  had  to  pass, 
so  Tilly  turned  against  the  ill-fated  Magdeburg,  bound  to 
break  through  the  very  walls  themselves  and  give  the 
stubborn  people  a taste  of  his  strength. 

The  part  which  Pappenheim  played  in  this  siege  shows 
him  to  have  been  a man  of  the  greatest  force  and  courage. 
He  was  indefatigable  in  his  attack  on  the  defences.  Some 
of  these  soon  fell  before  his  storming  parties.  The  three 
earthen  mounds  on  the  river  were  taken ; the  inner  earth- 
works were  captured ; and  five  hundred  of  the  defenders 
lay  dead  in  the  debris.  Pappenheim  exposed  himself  in 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


83 


the  firing  line  repeatedly  and  led  many  of  the  attacks  him- 
self, but  he  seemed  to  have  borne  a charmed  life  and  to  be 
reserved  for  death  at  some  other  moment.  His  fiery 
courage  inspired  his  men  to  deeds  of  the  greatest  bravery. 
They  were  a rough  lot  and  it  was  rough  work,  but  they 
were  led  by  fearless  men,  and  out-numbered  the  garrison 
by  tremendous  odds.  There  were  twenty-five  thousand 
men  around  the  walls  of  Magdeburg  and  but  two  thous- 
and five  hundred  defenders.  The  citizens  began  to  despair 
when  they  lost  the  outer-defences,  but  they  trusted  to 
relief  from  Gustavus  and  kept  on  with  a stout  resis- 
tance. 

Now  Falkenburg  was  forced  to  burn  the  suburbs  of  the 
town  in  order  to  properly  defend  it.  Pappenheim  pushed 
him  close  and  made  tunnels  and  trenches  in  the  ground 
which  reached  to  the  walls  of  the  defences.  Neustadt,  a 
suburb,  was  abandoned  by  the  citizens,  and  the  garrison 
withdrew  to  the  inner  fortifications  of  the  city.  Magde- 
burg was  doomed. 

Heavy  guns  were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  walls  and 
burning  shot  was  hurled  into  the  town.  A sharp  fire  drove 
the  defenders  from  the  ramparts,  while  the  indefatigable 
Pappenheim  pushed  his  ditches  under  the  very  walls  them- 
selves. No  one  worked  with  greater  zeal  than  he.  He 
even  seized  a spade  and  pick,  himself,  and  assisted  his  men 
in  cutting  through  the  earth.  The  cavalryman  was  now 
an  infantryman.  He  was  apparently  inspired  with  the 
most  tremendous  zeal  to  capture  the  town.  He  was  dirty, 
grimy  with  the  powder,  and  singed  with  burning  fuses, 
yet  he  enjoyed  the  affair  as  much  as  a game  of  racquets 
or  polo.  Like  Jeb  Stuart  and  Prince  Rupert,  this  German 


84  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


officer  loved  the  sound  of  battle  and  was  happiest  when  in 
action. 

Breaches  were  now  opened  in  the  walls  and  one  of  the 
largest  towers  was  demolished.  Pappenheim  tore  out  the 
palisades,  placed  several  hundred  ladders  against  one  of 
the  bastions,  and  prepared  a party  to  scale  the  wall  next 
day.  The  citizens  fought  with  stubborn  energy,  fired  hot 
balls  upon  the  heads  of  the  Imperialists,  and  endeavoured 
to  rebuild  the  ramparts  when  they  were  torn  down.  But 
their  powder  began  to  get  low ; a number  of  their  cannon 
exploded;  and  they  realized  that  help  from  Gustavus 
Adolphus  was  far  off.  In  this  predicament  a truce  was 
declared,  and  a herald  was  sent  from  Tilly’s  army  to  treat 
with  Falkenburg  for  the  town’s  surrender.  The  troops 
were  drawn  off  to  a distance,  and,  as  the  siege  guns  were 
moved  to  the  rear,  the  townsmen  thought  that  perhaps 
Gustavus  Adolphus  was  approaching.  But  this  was  not 
the  case.  At  a council  of  war  it  was  decided  to  storm  the 
battlement  next  morn,  at  daybreak,  for  then  the  towns- 
people would  be  less  active  than  at  any  other  time,  and, 
for  the  most  part,  asleep  from  the  exhausting  labours  of  the 
defence.  To  Pappenheim  was  to  be  entrusted  the  first 
attack  and  he  was  well  informed  where  to  find  the  weakest 
part  of  the  wall,  for  Catholics  within  the  town  kept  Tilly 
well  posted  as  to  the  condition  of  affairs  and  secretly  told 
him  where  to  discover  the  least  defence. 

At  daybreak  — when  most  of  the  officers  of  guard  were 
at  a council  debating  whether  or  not  to  accept  the 
demands  of  the  Imperialist  Commander,  Pappenheim  led 
the  assault  at  two  points  on  the  wall.  His  men  found  a 
weak  defence,  pushed  their  way  into  the  town  itself,  and 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


85 


were  soon  cutting  down  the  defenders  in  the  streets.  Falk- 
enburg  rushed  from  the  council  chamber  with  his  officers, 
plunged  into  the  fray  and,  for  a time,  stemmed  the  advance. 
But  he  was  quickly  disabled.  Pappenheim’s  followers 
swarmed  over  the  ramparts ; opened  the  gates  so  that  the 
rest  of  the  army  could  get  in ; and  soon  all  was  over  with 
Magdeburg.  The  city  was  given  up  to  plunder  and  de- 
bauchery. Every  soul  within  was  massacred  and  the  once 
prosperous  community  was  burned  to  the  ground.  A 
great  cathedral  alone  escaped  to  mark  the  wreck  of  the 
famous  city. 

What  part  Pappenheim  took  in  the  sacking  of  Magde- 
burg is  not  clear.  We  know  that  he  did  not  set  his  face 
against  the  pillaging,  nor  did  he  apparently  endeavour  to 
stop  it.  To  him  was  mainly  due  the  fall  of  the  fortress  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  he  felt  justified  in  having  his  own 
share  of  the  plunder,  for  these  were  rough  times ; the  sol- 
diers were  rough  men ; and  it  would  have  been  well  nigh 
impossible  to  stop  them  from  robbing  the  town.  Pappen- 
heim was  not  noted  for  the  same  purity  of  character  that 
Gustavus  Adolphus  possessed,  although  he  was  equally 
great  as  a cavalryman  and  possessed  a courage  in  battle 
quite  similar  to  that  of  the  great  Swede.  They  were  soon 
to  meet  in  battle  and  a test  of  the  relative  strength  of  the 
armies  under  Tilly  and  under  the  Swedish  King  was  to 
prove  that  the  Northern  Protestant  fought  with  a courage 
quite  equal  to  that  of  the  Imperialists. 

Tilly  and  Pappenheim  now  advanced  north  to  Leipsic. 
Their  progress  was  marked  by  fire  and  sword,  for  the  wild 
soldiers  under  their  command  pillaged  and  burnt  wher  • 
ever  they  went.  Telling  the  Elector  that  if  he  did  not  de- 


86  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


liver  the  city  to  him  it  would  suffer  the  same  fate  as  Magde- 
burg, Tilly  sat  down  before  the  gates  and  waited.  In  two 
days’  time  it  was  surrendered  and  the  victorious  troops 
marched  inside.  But  the  stay  was  to  be  short,  for  soon 
Gustavus  Adolphus  approached  with  his  army,  eager  to 
avenge  the  sack  of  Magdeburg.  So  Tilly  marched  out 
to  battle  with  him.  They  met  on  the  fields  to  the  north  of 
the  town,  at  Breitenfeld.  The  impulsive  Pappenheim 
was  on  the  left  of  Tilly’s  line,  and  was  now  in  charge  of  his 
famous  cavalry,  which,  mounted  for  the  most  part  on  black 
chargers,  made  a gallant  display.  They  were  eager  for 
the  fray,  — too  eager,  in  fact,  for  they  had  never  lost  a 
great  battle.  Pappenheim,  himself,  chafed  at  all  delay 
and  besought  the  more  stolid  Tilly  to  make  an  immediate 
attack  and  to  break  the  spirit  of  the  Protestants  by  defeat- 
ing them  in  battle.  The  Catholic  army  was  in  a single 
line  with  twenty-six  guns  in  the  centre.  The  men  were 
confident  of  success ; had  bound  white  handkerchiefs 
about  their  hats;  and  opened  the  hostilities  with  loud 
cheers  for  “ Old  Father  Tilly,”  as  their  gray-haired  Gen- 
eral-in-chief rode  down  the  line. 

There  was  some  skirmishing,  as  the  Swedes  came  for- 
ward to  the  attack.  The  whole  army  wore  green  branches 
in  their  hats  and  the  pass-word  was  “ God  is  with  us ! ” 
Gustavus  Adolphus  checked  the  advance  in  order  to 
make  sure  that  all  was  ready,  while  his  artillery  played 
upon  the  Imperialist  line.  Pappenheim’s  cuirassiers  chafed 
under  this  fire  and  eagerly  waited  for  word  to  attack.  But 
Tilly  was  cautious  and  did  not  send  it.  Pappenheim, 
himself,  grew  so  impatient  that  he  could  wait  no  longer. 
He  gave  the  order  to  charge. 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


87 


With  colours  flying  and  with  the  bright  sun  glistening 
from  their  steel  trappings,  his  five  thousand  horse  thun- 
dered down  upon  the  Swedish  right.  It  was  the  greatest 
division  of  cavalry  then  in  existence  and  compared  favour- 
ably with  the  columns  of  Napoleon.  They  galloped  across 
the  open  plain,  fired  their  pistols  into  the  opposing  line, 
and  then  charged,  hoping  to  break  the  Swedish  formations 
with  solid  steel.  But  this  was  not  to  be.  The  resolute 
followers  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  withstood  their  attacks 
with  immense  coolness;  the  horsemen  were  driven  back. 
They  re-formed  and  again  charged.  For  a second  time 
they  were  repulsed.  Again  they  attacked,  and  were  re- 
pulsed. They  charged  seven  times.  Then,  as  the  impul- 
sive Pappenheim  rallied  for  a final  onslaught,  they  were  set 
upon  by  the  Swedish  cavalry.  So  furious  was  the  counter 
stroke  that  the  once  invincible  cuirassiers  broke  and  fled 
precipitously.  Their  gallant  leader  was  himself  borne  back 
in  the  melee  and  carried  along  in  the  rush  of  fugitives.  He 
had  suffered  his  first  reverse. 

Tilly’s  cavalry  on  the  right  flank  had  better  success. 
They  stampeded  the  Saxon  allies  of  the  Swedish  King  and 
broke  them  to  bits.  Old  Tilly,  himself,  now  rushed  to  the 
attack,  but  he  was  to  meet  his  match.  Before  the  sun  sank 
his  own  cannon  had  been  turned  upon  his  men  and  they 
were  broken  in  dispirited  rout  towards  Leipsic  and  Halle. 
As  the  sun  sank,  Gustavus  Adolphus  knelt  on  the  ground 
and  offered  up  a prayer  of  thanksgiving  to  Heaven,  for  the 
Protestant  cause  had  triumphed  in  the  first  clash  of  arms. 

From  this  battle  to  the  great  struggle  at  Liitzen  the  army 
of  the  Swedish  King  had  one  series  of  successes.  Tilly 
was  badly  shattered,  both  in  nerve  and  in  physique. 


88  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Pappenheim  joined  him  shortly  after  Breitenfeld, 
gathered  together  the  remnants  of  the  army,  and  retreated 
south.  Subsequently  they  separated  and  the  gallant  Count 
waged  successful  warfare  against  Tott,  the  ally  of  Adol- 
phus, until  compelled  to  retreat  before  heavy  reinforce- 
ments into  Westphalia.  Here  he  waited  until  called  to  join 
Wallenstein,  — now  head  of  the  Imperialist  army  in  place 
of  the  gallant  Tilly,  who  had  died  from  wounds  in  bat- 
tle. 

The  crafty  Wallenstein  had  fought  one  bloody  battle 
with  Gustavus  Adolphus,  which  had  resulted  in  a victory 
for  neither  side.  He  had  repeatedly  refused  to  join  in  con- 
flict, although  personally  challenged  by  the  Swedish  King. 
But  eventually  he  had  to  fight.  He  had  put  off  a passage 
at  arms  as  long  as  he  could,  and  his  men  were  eager  to  test 
their  strength  with  the  northern  conquerors.  Pappenheim, 
himself,  had  repeatedly  skirmished  with  Swedish  detach- 
ments and  had  defeated  them  conclusively.  Not  one  of  the 
lieutenants  of  Adolphus  seemed  to  be  able  to  withstand 
his  fiery  impetuosity  and  valour.  At  Hildesheim  he  com- 
pletely overthrew  a well-tried  Lieutenant  of  the  Swedish 
army  and  captured  the  town.  The  Swedes  retreated  to- 
wards the  lines  of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  and  Pappenheim : 
the  troublesome,  was  left  in  possession  of  the  large  and 
fertile  region  on  which  his  rough  followers  levied  tribute. 

After  much  marching  and  counter-marching,  Wallenstein 
finally  took  up  a position  on  the  field  of  Liitzen.  It  was 
near  Leipsic  — on  the  highway  leading  to  the  town  — and 
behind  the  sides  of  this  road  his  men  found  a ready-made 
embankment.  Pappenheim  was  not  with  him,  but  was 
warned  of  the  impending  conflict  by  a messenger.  He 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM 


89 


hastened  towards  the  field  of  battle,  but  savage  fighting 
commenced  long  before  his  arrival. 

The  Swedes  first  attacked  and  broke  the  left  flank  of  the 
Imperialists.  They  were  equally  successful  on  the  right, 
— but  in  the  centre  things  did  not  go  so  well  with  them. 
A charge  of  cavalry  shattered  the  line  and  the  soldiers  fell 
back  in  confusion.  There  was  a dense  fog  over  the  battle- 
field which  hid  the  confusion  of  the  rout.  But  eventually 
Gustavus  Adolphus  saw  the  misfortune,  and,  at  the  head 
of  some  cavalry,  dashed  in  to  lead  his  men.  He  was  shot 
through  the  body  and  killed,  while  his  frightened  horse 
galloped  back  into  his  own  line. 

Count  Pappenheim  had  been  hurrying  to  the  scene  of 
conflict  and  arrived  with  a portion  of  his  command.  He 
had  come  on  the  double-quick  and  came  up  just  as  the 
centre  was  in  confusion.  With  a column  of  eight  cavalry 
regiments — about  six  thousand  men — he  charged  tumul- 
tuously upon  the  Swedish  right  wing.  Up  to  now  the 
troops  had  been  victorious  and  were  pushing  everything 
before  their  line.  But  this  tremendous  charge  broke  them 
into  bits.  They  turned  and  fled  to  their  first  position, 
while  some  fought  steadily  and  kept  the  retreat  from  being 
an  entire  rout.  The  Swedish  cannon  hurled  solid  shot 
into  the  advancing  horsemen. 

Count  Pappenheim — -ablaze  with  the  excitement  of 
battle — was  personally  leading  his  men.  He  was  in  the 
thick  of  the  fighting,  sword  in  hand,  and  courageously 
galloping  ahead  of  the  line.  But  this,  too,  was  to  be  his 
last  fight.  When  the  riderless  horse  of  the  great  Swedish 
King  was  bearing  the  sad  intelligence  of  his  death  to  his 
faithful  men,  Pappenheim  received  a mortal  wound.  He 


90  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


fell  from  his  horse  and  was  crushed  in  the  press  of  galloping 
squadrons.  Then  he  was  discovered,  and  his  retainers 
bore  him  tenderly  from  the  field.  This  broke  their  attack. 
They  hesitated,  fell  back,  and  the  day  was  lost  for  the  Im- 
perialists. When  night  closed  in  upon  the  scene  of  blood- 
shed, two  of  the  greatest  fighting  men  in  history  were  no 
more. 

So  died  Count  Pappenheim:  the  Troublesome:  — 

rough  soldier  of  a rough  age.  He  was  rapacious;  crude; 
fiery ; and  impulsive,  — a creature  of  the  times.  His 
followers  loved  him,  for  they  were  rougher  than  he  and 
had  not  his  intellect.  His  enemies  feared  him,  for  they 
appreciated  his  fiery  zeal.  His  name  justly  deserves  a 
position  among  the  giants  of  this  great  religious  struggle, 
and  although  he  waged  war  with  relentless  heartlessness, 
he  was  a leader  of  cavalry  of  the  first  rank. 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS:  THE  LION  OF 
THE  NORTH 

[1594—1632] 

GREAT  military  movements  have  been  brought 
about  in  the  world’s  history  by  many  causes; 
through  love  of  glory  and  renown  by  a single, 
powerful  individual ; through  the  desire  for  conquest  by  an 
ambitious  nation ; and  through  the  unrest  bred  by  religious 
upheavals  and  disturbances.  The  Thirty  Years’  War, 
which  turned  Germany  into  an  armed  camp  and  laid  waste 
to  thousands  of  happy  homes ; was  because  of  differences 
in  religious  beliefs ; and  among  those  who  fought  and  bled 
for  the  cause  which  they  considered  to  be  just ; Gustavus 
Adolphus  — The  Lion  of  the  North  — had  by  far  the 
the  most  brilliant  and  interesting  career.  He  was  King  of 
Sweden ; leader  of  the  Protestant  forces  in  the  great 
religious  struggle  in  Germany;  and  — with  Wallenstein, 
Tilly,  and  Pappenheim  — the  most  prominent  General 
who  fought  in  the  fierce  contests  which  ravaged  Europe, 
from  the  North  Sea  to  the  waters  of  the  Danube. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  was  a Swede — the  son  of  King 
Charles  IX  — a practical  but,  by  no  means,  brilliant  man, 
who  ruled  over  rude  and  ignorant  people,  as  stout  and 
loyal  in  their  allegiance  to  their  sovereign  as  could  be 
wished.  They  were  earnest,  deeply  religious,  and  hard 

91 


92  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


working.  They  lived  in  a cold  climate  where  the  winters 
were  hard  and  severe,  so  that  the  struggle  for  existence 
required  strict  attention  to  their  daily  labour;  and  they 
thus  possessed  strong  and  hardy  bodies  which  soon  be- 
came used  to  danger  and  fatigue  when  employed  as  sol- 
diers in  the  army. 

One  day  the  young  Prince  Gustavus  was  walking  with 
his  nurse,  in  the  wood. 

“ Do  not  go  into  the  forest,”  she  said  to  her  charge,  “ for 
there  are  tremendously  big  snakes  there,  and  they  will 
attack  and  sting  you.” 

But  this  did  not  seem  to  alarm  the  future  sovereign. 

“ Just  give  me  a big  stick,”  he  said,  “ and  I will  soon 
kill  all  of  them.” 

This  incident  showed  him  to  have  a courage  that  was 
always  remarkable  — even  in  early  youth  — and  a desire 
for  conflict,  that  future  years  were  to  give  him  plenty  of 
opportunity  to  gratify. 

He  was  a diligent  student,  and,  as  his  education  was 
carefully  guarded  by  his  father  and  mother,  he  received 
every  advantage  that  money  could  give.  Under  John 
Skytte;  a clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court;  and  two  German 
travellers  who  had  temporarily  sought  situations  at  the 
Swedish  palace ; he  was  instructed  in  art ; literature ; the 
languages;  and  fencing.  He  was  taught  horse-back  rid- 
ing; he  was  shown  how  to  jump  his  steed  over  obstacles; 
and  was  exercised  in  boxing  and  swimming  lessons.  It  is 
said  that  he  was  unexcelled  in  gymnastic  sports,  and  could 
even  do  that  difficult  feat,  the  giant  swing;  which  only 
those  of  most  lithe  and  supple  muscles  can  accomplish. 
He  could  run  fairly  fast,  was  a good  wrestler,  and,  al- 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


93 


though  of  an  exceedingly  quick  temper,  in  after  years  he 
learned  the  rare  virtue  of  self  control. 

As  was  customary  with  the  rules  of  court;  there  were 
reviews  of  the  vessels  composing  the  Swedish  fleet,  and 
upon  one  occasion  he  was  taken  to  see  the  wooden  vessels, 
as  they  were  watched  by  his  father  — the  King  — and  all 
the  court.  An  officer  of  some  rank  asked  him  which  ship 
he  preferred  among  those  before  them,  and  he  replied, 

“Why,  that  one,  over  there.”  Pointing,  at  the  same 
time,  to  a large  vessel  which  headed  the  line. 

“ And  why  do  you  choose  that  one,  Your  Royal  High- 
ness? ” asked  the  officer. 

“ Because  she  has  got  the  most  guns,”  answered  young 
Gustavus,  with  a laugh. 

And  as  the  officer  turned  away,  he  remarked  to  a com- 
panion, 

“ He  is  a true  Vasa.  Fond  of  war-like  things,  as  he 
should  be.  It  is  well.” 

So  proficient  did  young  Gustavus  become  in  the  lan- 
guages that  he  could  express  himself  with  considerable 
fluency  in  Greek ; Latin ; Dutch ; Italian ; Russian  and 
Polish;  and,  of  course,  in  the  language  of  his  country. 
He  studied  the  art  of  military  warfare;  read  deeply  of 
Caesar’s  and  Hannibal’s  campaigns ; and  carried  one 
book,  “ The  Rights  of  War  and  Peace,”  continually  with 
him  when  he  was  in  camp  with  the  soldiers  of  the  crown. 
Besides  being  a good  student,  he  was  a poet  of  considerable 
ability,  and  many  of  his  poems  upon  religious  subjects,  are 
still  sung  in  the  churches  of  Sweden. 

The  future  leader  of  the  Protestant  armies  of  the  North 
was  eleven  years  of  age  when  he  entered  the  army,  and  he 


94  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


was  soon  busy  with  the  routine  and  daily  drill  of  a common 
soldier.  He  showed  himself  to  be  an  excellent  cadet,  and 
quite  eager  to  be  allowed  to  participate  in  active  cam- 
paigns. Because  of  the  position  which  he  was,  one  day, 
to  assume;  he  was  allowed  to  sit  at  the  meetings  of  the 
ministry ; and,  through  association  with  older  heads  than 
his  own,  learned  much  that  was  useful  to  him  in  after 
years.  He  was,  even  then,  considered  to  have  a wise  head 
on  his  broadening  shoulders;  and  was  often  allowed  to 
add  his  word  to  those  of  the  more  aged  counsellors.  As 
Sweden  was  a small  and  unimportant  country,  it  was  beset 
by  strong  neighbours,  upon  every  side.  War  was  going  on 
with  Russia ; the  Danes  were  dreaded  competitors  in 
trade  and  commerce ; and  the  King  of  Poland  was  intent 
upon  securing  the  crown  of  Sweden  for  himself.  So  there 
was  much  to  discuss  at  the  meetings  of  the  King’s  Cabinet 
and  the  training  in  statecraft  was  excellent  for  the  young 
soldier. 

When  Charles  IX  died,  in  1611,  Gustavus  Adolphus 
was  but  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  therefore  could  not 
legally  ascend  the  throne,  as  he  was  too  young,  and  the 
law  stated  that  a King  should  be  twenty-four  at  the  time  of 
his  coronation.  But  so  beset  was  Sweden  by  her  enemies, 
and  so  necessary  was  it  considered  by  the  King’s  ministers 
that  the  youth  should  succeed  his  father ; that  he  was  im- 
mediately crowned.  The  people  of  Sweden  had  little 
reason  to  regret  this  act,  for  he  soon  developed  the  most 
excellent  ability  as  a leader,  and  brought  far  more  glory  to 
Sweden  than  it  had  ever  had  under  his  forefathers.  He 
chose  a young  man  as  his  prime  minister,  called  Oxen- 
stiern,  and  he  was  of  such  a prudent,  far-seeing,  and  calm 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


95 


disposition ; that  he  well  guided  the  destinies  of  the  father- 

land. 

The  youthful  King  had  great  personal  beauty  and  his 
strength  was  far  above  the  average.  He  delighted  in  mili- 
tary life,  and,  as  a young  man,  showed  that  courage  and 
hardihood  for  which  he  became  famous.  He  was  hard  and 
strict  in  discipline  and  especially  severe  upon  duelling.  It  is 
said  that  two  officers  came  to  him  and  requested  that  they 
be  allowed  to  meet  and  settle  their  differences  with  the 
sword.  He  permitted  them  to  come  together,  but  attended 
the  duel,  himself,  and  said  to  the  two  soldiers,  as,  with 
sword  in  hand,  they  confronted  each  other : “ Now,  gentle- 
men, at  it,  and  do  not  stop  until  one  of  you  is  killed  ! You 
know  my  dislike  for  this  practice  and  that  I wish  none  of 
it  to  go  on  in  the  army.  Moreover,  I have  the  provost 
marshal  at  hand,  who  will  immediately  execute  the  one 
who  remains  alive ! ” This  was  characteristic  of  his  tem- 
perament, and  in  his  first  appearance  upon  the  field  of 
war  — when  the  Swedish  troops  were  battling  with  the 
Danes  — he  showed  great  coolness,  and  such  a disregard 
for  danger,  that  he  frightened  all  who  were  associated  with 
him.  Frequently  he  would  ride  within  firing  distance  of 
the  enemy  and  scan  their  position  through  a field-glass, 
while  the  bullets  whizzed  by  him  on  every  side. 

Gustavus  was  in  charge  of  some  forces  in  South-western 
Sweden,  which  were  attempting  to  relieve  the  city  of 
Kalmar  — besieged  by  the  Danes  — when  a letter  fell 
into  his  hands,  addressed  to  the  Danish  commander,  by  a 
general  in  charge  of  a detachment  of  the  Danish  army  in 
Christianopel,  and  requesting  that  he  dispatch  five  hun- 
dred horse  to  help  him  against  the  Swedes.  With  the 


96  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 

• 

quickness  that  always  distinguished  him,  the  Swedish 
King  at  once  prepared  to  make  use  of  this  lucky  accident. 
He  immediately  dressed  five  hundred  Swedes  in  the  uni- 
forms of  Danish  cavalrymen ; led  them  by  a circuitous 
route  to  Christianopel ; and  appeared  before  the  walls  in 
the  early  gray  of  the  morning. 

“ Who  are  you?  ” asked  the  sentry  from  the  battlement, 
as  the  cavalrymen  were  seen  through  the  mist. 

“ The  detachment  of  five  hundred  horse,  which  your 
commander  has  requested,”  replied  Gustavus,  in  a loud 
voice,  and  in  the  Danish  language. 

“ Glad,  indeed,  are  we  to  see  you,”  replied  the  sentry. 
“ Wait,  but  a moment,  and  the  gates  will  be  opened  to 
you.” 

And  in  a few  seconds,  the  massive  doors  of  the  fortress 
swung  clear  to  the  jubilant  Swedes,  who  rushed  furiously 
into  the  fortification  and  soon  had  taken  all  the  garrison 
prisoners. 

Shortly  afterwards  this  success  was  nearly  counteracted 
by  an  accident  which  almost  cost  brave  Gustavus  his  life. 
There  was  a battle  with  the  Danes  on  the  frozen  surface 
of  a lake,  and  the  Swedish  King  was  directing  the  move- 
ments of  his  troops  on  horseback.  A.s  the  winters  are 
severe  and  cold  in  Sweden,  long  marches  were  frequently 
made  upon  the  frozen  surfaces  of  the  streams  and  lakes, 
while  soldiers  in  the  contending  armies  often  had  skir- 
mishes and  fights  upon  the  thick  ice.  Gustavus  had  his 
horse  sharp-shod,  so  that  he  would  stand  up  upon  the 
surface  of  the  lake,  and  was  galloping  to  direct  the 
planting  of  a battery ; when  suddenly  — and  without 
warning  — the  ice  gave  way  beneath  his  mount,  and  he 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


97 


was  soon  struggling  in  the  chill  water.  He  was  sucked 
under  the  surface,  but  soon  forced  his  way  to  a corner  of 
the  break,  -where  he  held  on  until  rescued  by  his  men. 
The  horse,  too,  was  saved  from  drowning,  while  the 
gallant  commander  did  not  seem  to  mind  his  wetting  in 
the  slightest.  He  laughed  at  the  affair  and,  after  he  had 
put  on  a clean  suit  of  clothes,  thought  no  more  upon  the 
accident  which  near  lost  him  his  life. 

Before  the  outbreak  of  the  Thirty  Years’  War  in  which 
Gustavus  was  to  take  such  a prominent  part,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  altercations  with  Poland  (a  country  lying  directly 
between  Germany  and  Russia,  and  separated  from  Sweden 
by  the  Baltic  Sea)  and  with  Russia.  During  a two  years’ 
truce  with  the  former  country  he  transported  an  army  to 
the  present  site  of  St.  Petersburg,  stormed  a fortified  city, 
called  Pleskov,  and  reduced  it  to  subjection.  He  then  re- 
tired to  his  own  land  and  succeeded  in  making  a treaty 
which  gave  him  a number  of  fortresses  on  Russian  soil 
and  also  a considerable  sum  of  money.  His  troops  fought 
nobly  in  this  campaign  and  exhibited  good  behaviour; 
obedience ; and  a cheerful  courage  and  discipline.  Regu- 
lar morning  and  evening  prayers  were  introduced  by 
Gustavus,  and  he  was  the  first  man  in  Europe  to  have  paid 
ministers,  as  Chaplains,  with  the  army.  Before  every 
battle  they  prayed  to  Heaven  that  their  success  might  be 
great,  and,  as  the  soldiers  were  all  supplied  with  prayer 
books,  they  joined  fervently  in  the  service  of  God.  The 
King,  himself,  took  part  in  the  religious  exercise,  and  knelt 
upon  the  ground  with  his  men.  In  this  way  his  power  with 
his  troops  became  marked ; he  infused  them  with  the  same 
spirit  which  he,  himself,  possessed ; and,  as  he  was  full  of 


98  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


zeal  and  energy,  his  strong-bodied  Swedes  became  imbued 
with  the  same  force.  It  was  often  said  in  Europe,  that, 
“ The  Swedes  do  not  defend  their  men  with  walls,  but 
their  walls  with  men,”  and  this  was  a good  tribute  to  the 
prowess  of  the  Northern  soldiers.  They  were  big  limbed, 
big  fisted,  and  stout-hearted  peasants,  who  feared  no  dan- 
ger or  suffering. 

The  Swedish  cavalry,  or  cuirassiers,  were  mounted  upon 
stout-bodied  horses,  and  dressed  in  loose  clothes  of  warm 
material;  high  hip  boots;  strong  breast  plates  on  the 
front  and  back  of  their  bodies ; and  a steel  cap  upon  their 
heads.  They  were  armed  with  a long  sword  and  a brace 
of  pistols.  They  rode  in  two  or  more  lines ; and  occasion- 
ally — when  making  a charge  — in  a single  line.  The 
King,  himself,  dressed  in  this  fashion  and  frequently 
directed  his  own  army  in  person,  and  exposed  himself 
more  recklessly  than  he  should  have  done.  The  horsemen 
were  placed  upon  the  wings  of  the  army ; the  infantry  and 
artillery  in  the  centre;  and,  in  some  battles,  lines  of 
cavalry  were  placed  behind  the  infantry  columns  in  order 
to  check  the  retreat  of  the  soldiers,  should  they  be  thrown 
into  confusion.  Gustavus  was,  in  reality,  a general  of  both 
Infantry  and  Cavalry;  but  he  appeared  always  upon  a 
horse;  was  more  attached  to  his  horsemen  than  to  his 
slow  foot-soldiers,  and,  if  he  had  not  been  King,  would 
have  undoubtedly  been  the  hero  of  more  daring  cavalry 
raids  than  Marion,  Jeb  Stuart,  Sheridan,  Pappenheim, 
or  any  of  the  great  cavalrymen  of  history.  As  a horseman 
he  was  known  to  all  Europe,  and  as  a General  of  such 
ability,  that  Wallenstein  remarked,  to  the  Emperor  of 
Germany.  “ By  all  means  help  the  Polish  King  to  crush 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


99 


him,  for  he  is  a terrible  man,  more  courageous  than  our 
own  Pappenheim,  and  a worse  foe  than  the  Turks,  upon 
our  southern  borders.” 

After  the  successful  conclusion  of  the  campaign  with 
Russia,  Gustavus  Adolphus  started  upon  an  invasion  of 
Poland,  for  the  Swedish  Royal  family  had  long  had  pre- 
tensions to  the  throne  of  that  contry.  So,  placing  an  army 
of  twenty-four  thousand  men  in  the  holds  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  vessels,  he  sailed  across  the  Baltic ; landed 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Dwina  River;  and  soon  besieged  the 
rich  and  imposing  city  of  Riga.  The  Swedish  King  took 
personal  command  of  the  siege  operations  against  the 
town,  directed  the  planting  of  the  artillery  and  the  digging 
of  entrenchments,  and  appeared  continually  in  the  midst 
of  his  men.  He  infused  in  them  his  own  enthusiasm  and 
zeal,  so  that  they  worked  with  a vim  to  lay  low  the  pride 
of  the  Polish  city.  Deep  tunnels  were  made  beneath  the 
walls  of  the  battlements,  in  several  places,  and  these  were 
filled  with  gunpowder,  ready  to  be  exploded  at  a given 
signal ; for  Gustavus  determined  to  wreck  the  walls  in  this 
manner,  if  the  Mayor  of  Riga  did  not  quickly  capitulate 
to  him.  A relief  army  of  ten  thousand  men  marched  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  doomed  defenders,  but  this  was 
easily  defeated  by  Gustavus,  and  a part  of  the  hostile 
forces  were  taken  prisoners.  So,  at  last,  the  garrison  de- 
termined to  surrender,  for  the  artillery  had  been  trained 
upon  the  town,  and  word  had  been  sent  that  if  the  white 
flag  were  not  raised  by  a certain  hour,  the  walls  would  be 
totally  destroyed  by  the  explosions  of  the  mines,  and  bom- 
bardment by  the  siege  guns.  This  was  a great  victory  for 
the  Swedish  King ; it  made  him  much  feared  by  the  Euro- 


100  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


pean  rulers ; and,  as  he  shortly  afterwards  forced  Danzig 
to  declare  itself  a neutral  port,  the  Ruler  of  Poland  made 
peace  with  the  powerful  Monarch  of  Sweden.  The  war 
of  conquests  was  temporarily  at  an  end. 

Germany  was  torn  with  religious  dissensions,  at  this  time, 
and  we  have,  to  some  extent,  explained  the  causes  of  the 
beginnings  of  the  Thirty  Years’  War,  in  the  essay  on 
Pappenheim.  Gustavus  Adolphus  was  a Protestant;  his 
loyal  subjects  were  Protestants;  and  he  was  heart  and 
soul  in  favour  of  the  Protestant  cause  in  the  religious  strifes 
which  turned  Germany  into  an  armed  camp.  At  home 
the  Swedish  King  was  most  popular.  His  people  loved 
him ; his  ministry  never  failed  to  sustain  him ; and  he  had 
the  hearty  support  of  all  classes  of  his  subjects.  He  had 
never  yet  been  defeated ; he  was  eager  for  further  military 
distinction;  and,  as  he  heard  of  Wallenstein’s  successes 
as  a general  of  the  Catholic  league,  and  of  the  bitter  de- 
feats of  the  Protestant  generals,  his  blood  boiled  to  be  in 
the  midst  of  the  hurly  burly,  and  to  be  engaged  in  the  fight 
for  the  religion  of  his  country.  But,  before  he  joined  in 
the  religious  war  of  Germany,  he  had  grievances  to  settle 
with  Poland ; for  the  truce  which  had  been  declared,  after 
the  attack  upon  Riga,  had  been  broken  by  the  Polish 
ruler : King  Sigismund.  So  — with  twenty  thousand  men 
— Gustavus  sailed  for  the  mouth  of  the  Dwina  River  and 
had  soon  captured  the  towns  lying  in  the  provinces  which 
lay  upon  the  seacoast. 

It  was  now  winter,  and  the  soldiers  were  forced  to  march 
in  freezing  weather,  which  somewhat  impeded  their 
advance.  The  Swedish  King  — - with  true  foresight  — - 
had  equipped  his  men  with  fur-lined ; waterproof  boots ; 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


101 


oiled  leather  overcoats;  and  with  thick  stockings.  They 
were  warmly  clad,  and,  like  General  Nelson  A.  Miles’s 
troops  in  his  campaigns  against  the  Sioux,  could  fight  in 
bitter  weather  with  some  degree  of  comfort.  It  was  well 
that  they  were  so  supplied,  for  an  army  of  thirty-six  hun- 
dred cavalry  and  thirteen  hundred  foot,  was  soon  marching 
to  meet  them,  bent  upon  their  defeat.  But  this  did  not 
terrify  the  brave  Gustavus  Adolphus.  On  the  other  hand, 
he  welcomed  the  opportunity  to  again  engage  in  battle; 
and  so  — although  he  had  few  cavalrymen  — he  marched 
to  meet  the  enemy,  with  full  confidence  in  his  ability  to 
defeat  this  formidable  array  of  military  men.  The  two 
armies  met  at  Walhof,  January  16th,  1626,  and  the  King 
of  Sweden  administered  a severe  and  crushing  defeat  to  the 
Poles;  who  lost  sixteen  hundred  men  and  much  of  their 
baggage  and  artillery.  They  retreated  in  great  confusion 
and  Gustavus  pressed  forward  to  the  town  of  Boizen, 
which  he  took  with  ease;  and  captured  sufficient  stores 
to  feed  his  now  hungry  men,  upon.  He  demanded  peace 

— but  peace  was  not  to  be  had  — so,  leaving  enough 
troops  to  hold  what  he  had  won,  he  sailed  for  Stockholm 
to  get  a new  army  and  better  equipment. 

Returning  with  twenty-six  thousand  men  on  one  hundred 
and  fifty  ships;  he  landed  at  the  fortress  of  Pillan,  and, 
when  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  — who  owned  the  place 

— expostulated  with  him  for  seizing  what  was  not  his, 
Gustavus  replied:  “ I am  aware  that  you  prefer  to  keep 
a middle  course  and  not  join  either  side,  in  this  affair,  but 
you  must  either  hold  on  to  me,  or  to  Poland.  I am  your 
brother  Protestant  and  have  married  a Brandenburg 
Princess.  I will  fight  for  you  and  defend  this  city  of  yours. 


102  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


I have  good  Engineers  and  know  a lot  about  the  art  of 
sacking  towns.  I shall  defend  this  place  against  all  Poland 
— ■ or  the  devil,  himself.  My  men,  as  you  see,  are  poor, 
Swedish  peasants  louts,  dirty  and  ill-clad;  but  they  deal 
you  lusty  blows,  and  shall  soon  be  given  finer  clothing 
which  they  will  capture  from  their  enemies.”  So  the 
Elector  of  Brandenburg  said  no  more. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  now  advanced  towards  the  South; 
seized  all  the  towns  which  lay  in  his  path ; and  marched 
upon  Danzig ; which  was  so  well  fortified  that  the  Swedish 
King  wished  to  reconnoitre.  He  went  out  upon  the  river  in 
a boat  — in  order  to  more  closely  inspect  the  works  — and 
while  looking  at  the  fortifications  through  a glass,  was  shot 
upon  by  a Polish  soldier  and  severely  wounded  in  the  hip. 
Just  before  this,  he  had  been  almost  captured  by  two 
Polish  horsemen,  who  had  caught  him  unawares,  and  when 
far  away  from  his  escort,  while,  a week  before,  he  had  been 
cut  in  the  leg,  when  on  a cavalry  skirmish.  So  venture- 
some was  he  that  he  constantly  placed  himself  in  positions 
of  peril,  and  when  his  Prime  Minister  expostulated  with 
him  for  his  want  of  care,  he  replied  : “ Alexander  the  Great 
told  his  men  that  they  must  despise  all  danger.  What 
better  fate  could  befall  me  than  to  die  doing  my  duty  as 
King,  in  which  place  it  has  pleased  heaven  to  set  me.” 

The  bullet  which  struck  the  King  made  a slight  wound, 
but  a few  days  later,  he  received  another  shot  which  nearly 
incapacitated  him  from  further  service.  A Polish  General 
of  Cavalry  drew  near  to  relieve  Danzig,  and  Gustavus 
headed  a charge  of  his  own  cavalrymen,  which  drove  back 
the  Polish  horse  through  a village  held  by  the  artillery  and 
infantry.  While  riding  to  inspect  some  batteries  which  he 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


103 


had  placed  upon  a hill,  he  was  again  hit  by  a bullet,  which 
tore  through  his  right  shoulder,  near  the  neck,  and  knocked 
him  from  his  horse.  He  was  carried  back  to  his  own  lines 
and  was  placed  upon  a cot-bed  in  his  tent,  where  a phy- 
sician soon  extracted  the  ball;  but  Gustavus  could  not 
lead  his  own  army  for  some  time  thereafter. 

The  siege  of  Danzig  dragged  slowly  onward,  while  a 
Polish  army  under  Koniezpolski  marched  upon  the  town 
in  the  endeavour  to  break  up  the  siege  operations  of  the 
Swedish  King.  Seeing  that  the  approach  should  be  stopped ; 
Gustavus  sent  a large  cavalry  force  to  watch  the  Poles, 
and  to  impede  the  operations  as  much  as  it  could ; but  the 
detachment  was  ambuscaded  by  a squadron  twice  its  size, 
and,  although  the  Swedes  cut  their  way  out,  it  was  only 
after  they  had  lost  a great  portion  of  their  troops.  Then 
the  Polish  force  hung  upon  the  outskirts  of  the  Swedish 
army  and  impeded  the  siege  operations  as  much  as  possible, 
until  Gustavus  — - irritated  by  these  attacks  — determined 
to  deal  this  enemy  a severe  blow.  So,  leaving  a portion  of 
his  own  men  to  continue  the  siege  of  Danzig,  he  marched 
upon  the  Poles  and  met  them  not  far  from  his  own  camp. 
There  was  a furious  battle,  but  Gustavus  won  and  cap- 
tured three  thousand  men  ; four  guns ; and  fourteen  flags, 
while  the  defeated  troops  retreated  in  confusion  down  the 
river  Vistula.  It  was  a glorious  victory,  and  one  that  made 
his  reputation  as  a soldier  greater  than  ever  before.  It 
would  have  settled  the  fate  of  Danzig,  had  not  an  extraor- 
dinary flood  occurred,  which  so  inundated  the  country, 
that  the  Swedes  were  unable  to  remain  within  their  forti- 
fications and  had  to  give  up  the  siege. 

But  Gustavus  was  not  downcast  by  this  failure  and  con- 


104  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


tinued  his  active  campaign  against  the  Poles  with  the  same 
perseverance  as  before.  So  successful  was  he,  that  he  soon 
had  whipped  his  opponents  to  a point  where  they  were 
eager  for  peace,  and,  as  France  now  intervened  to  stop 
hostilities,  a six  years’  truce  was  declared,  under  the  terms 
of  which,  Gustavus  was  to  hold  all  that  he  had  captured. 
The  Swedish  army  had  learned  much  from  this  campaign  : 
it  had  been  taught  to  put  implicit  confidence  in  its  leader 
and  King,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  and  it  had  been  shown 
how  to  fight  and  march  with  speed.  Wallenstein  and 
Ferdinand  — the  General-in-chief  and  King  of  Catholic 
Germany  - — looked  askance,  but  with  arrogance,  at  the 
success  of  Gustavus,  who  had  been  asked  to  march  into 
Germany  in  aid  of  those  who  championed  the  Protestant 
Cause.  “So  we  have  got  a little  enemy,  have  we?” 
Ferdinand  remarked;  and  Wallenstein  replied  : “ If  that 
conceited  Northerner  shows  his  face  in  Germany,  and 
attempts  to  do  aught,  I shall  drive  him  — whom  men  call 
the  Snow  King  — from  our  land,  so  badly  whipped,  that 
he  will  rue  the  day  he  ever  put  foot  within  our  border.” 
But  the  Swedish  King  now  listened  to  the  prayers  of  the 
Protestant,  German  Princes  with  a willing  ear,  and,  at 
last  determined  to  march  to  their  assistance  in  the  struggle 
with  Ferdinand  and  Wallenstein ; the  rapacious  and  greedy. 

For  twelve  years  the  war  between  the  Protestants  and 
Catholics  had  waged  in  Germany,  and  the  entire  country 
had  been  overrun  by  the  forces  of  King  Ferdinand;  the 
Catholic  King.  The  Protestants  were  disunited  and 
broken : their  armies  had  been  so  beaten  and  dispersed, 
that  there  was  little  resistance  to  the  power  of  the  Crown. 
Gustavus  Adolphus  was  to  champion  a wrecked  cause, 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


105 


and  one  that  was  to  receive  no  aid  from  France,  Austria, 
or  Russia.  His  motives  were  most  worthy  ones:  he 
had  no  personal  ambitions,  and  proposed  merely  to  pro- 
tect the  interests  of  Sweden  and  Protestantism,  and  to 
obtain  a footing  for  Sweden  upon  the  southern  shores  of 
the  Baltic  sea.  So,  with  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand 
men,  and  upheld  in  his  course  by  his  cabinet  and  country, 
he  set  sail  in  May,  1630,  for  what  he  considered  a holy 
mission : the  conquest  of  Germany  for  the  cause  of  Pro- 
testantism. 

The  troops  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Oder,  without 
any  opposition,  and  soon  had  taken  several  fortifications 
near  the  coast.  Magdeburg  — a rich  and  populous  Ger- 
man city  — declared  in  favour  of  Protestantism  and  the 
Swedes ; so  Colonel  Falkenberg  was  sent  to  take  command 
of  the  town  and  to  put  it  in  a condition  of  defence.  Gus- 
tavus  himself,  embarked  a considerable  body  of  troops 
on  vessels,  for  Magdeburg,  and  sailed  away  to  take  the 
Catholic  stronghold;  but  a fierce  storm  arose  and  the 
troops  were  made  so  ill  by  the  buffe tings  of  the  waves, 
that  every  sixth  man  was  weak  from  sea-sickness,  and  the 
cavalry  horses  were  unable  to  stand  up.  So  the  army  was 
landed  in  boats  and  marched  on  terra  firma  towards  the 
German  frontier,  through  a country  that  was  so  devastated 
by  Wallenstein’s  army  that  Gustavus  had  to  feed  the 
peasants  with  provender  intended  for  his  own  troops. 
He  paid  in  coin  for  everything  which  his  soldiers  ate, 
which  was  the  exact  opposite  of  the  course  pursued  by 
those  who  championed  the  Catholic  cause,  who  robbed 
and  plundered  all  that  they  could. 

Gustavus  soon  captured  the  town  of  Ribnitz  and  rested 


106  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


from  his  serious  labours,  as  the  Catholics  were  gathering 
in  force,  and  threatening  his  thin  lines  of  communication. 
Wallenstein  and  he  had  never  met,  and,  as  the  Catholic 
leader  was  now  displaced  by  “ Old  Father  Tilly,”  it  looked 
as  if  he  never  would  have  the  opportunity  of  clashing  with 
this  great  Catholic.  The  Emperor  of  Germany  had  not 
only  begun  to  fear  the  power  of  Wallenstein,  but  the  people 
insisted  upon  his  removal,  as  he  allowed  his  troops  the 
greatest  license;  and,  wherever  they  had  marched,  they 
had  plundered,  burned,  and  pillaged.  Strange  to  relate, 
a considerable  number  of  Wallenstein’s  troops  enlisted 
with  Gustavus,  for  they  were  soldiers  of  fortune,  and, 
when  their  occupation  was  gone  with  Wallenstein,  they 
saw  an  opportunity  for  employment  with  the  Swedish 
King.  It  made  no  difference  to  them  where  they  fought 
as  long  as  they  drew  rations  and  were  kept  busy.  So  they 
deserted  the  cause  of  King  Ferdinand,  like  rats  leaving 
an  old  ship,  and  soon  had  so  depleted  the  Catholic  army, 
that  Gustavus  had  rather  an  easy  time  in  his  march  of 
conquest.  City  after  city  fell  before  his  well-directed 
attacks;  the  Imperialists,  or  Catholic  armies,  could  do 
nothing  with  his  well- trained  men  — who  were  excellent 
in  both  discipline  and  morals  — and  before  long  Gus- 
tavus had  advanced  so  far  into  the  German  territory, 
that  even  so  far  south  as  Vienna,  they  dreaded  his  power, 
and  shook  with  fear  whenever  his  name  was  mentioned. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  was  now  in  the  prime  of  life ; vig- 
orous; active;  and  without  fear.  He  exposed  himself 
recklessly  in  battle,  and  always  rode  with  the  van,  or 
front,  of  the  army.  He  was  eager  to  know  what  was  be- 
fore him  and  was  quick  to  seize  the  advantages  of  ground 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


107 


and  position.  He  never  relied  upon  the  judgment  of  his 
subordinates,  but  like  Napoleon  the  First,  saw  everything 
for  himself,  and  directed  all  of  his  movements  personally. 
So  keen  was  he  and  so  fond  of  fighting,  that  his  own  spirit 
was  infused  into  his  men,  who,  after  a time,  came  to  have 
the  same  contempt  for  death  that  he,  himself,  possessed. 
Kind  and  generous  in  his  impulses ; Gustavus  was  always 
ready  to  recognize  and  appreciate  gallantry.  He  would 
frequently  thank  his  generals  before  the  entire  army, 
after  they  had  performed  some  act  of  special  bravery, 
and  was  free  with  his  distribution  of  crosses  and  honours, 
when  he  felt  that  his  men  deserved  them. 

The  Swedish  Monarch  had  the  iron  will  of  the  true 
soldier,  and  once  convinced  that  he  was  right,  nothing 
could  bar  him  from  the  execution  of  his  designs.  He  read 
daily  in  his  bible  and  prayed  fervently  with  his  soldiers. 
When  an  offence  had  been  committed,  or  a breach  of  dis- 
cipline, he  was  summary  and  severe  in  inflicting  punish- 
ment, to  which  the  following  incident  bears  good  testi- 
mony. One  day  he  received  a number  of  protests  from 
the  peasants  to  the  effect  that  his  soldiers  had  been  steal- 
ing their  possessions  — which  was  a breach  of  military 
discipline.  On  going  to  the  camp  — a little  later  — he 
saw  a stolen  cow  in  front  of  the  tent  of  a petty  officer,  and 
seizing  the  man  by  the  hair,  he  informed  him  that  he  was 
going  to  turn  him  over  to  the  executioner. 

“ Come  along  with  me,  my  son,”  he  said.  “ Better 
that  I punish  thee,  than  that  God  visit  vengeance  upon 
me  and  the  whole  army,  for  thy  sin.” 

Of  all  his  opponents : Wallenstein,  Tilly,  and  Pappen- 
heim ; he  thought  most  highly  of  the  last,  for  he  possessed 


108  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


the  qualities  of  dash  and  quick  decision,  which  he,  him- 
self, possessed.  He  was  asked  what  he  thought  of  Father 
Tilly,  one  day.  “He  is  brave,”  he  replied,  “but  old; 
he  does  not  think  and  act  with  sufficient  speed.  He  is 
only  an  old  Corporal.”  Of  Wallenstein  he  thought  little 
because  of  his  personal  vanity  and  love  of  display.  “ He 
is  a vain  fellow,”  he  remarked.  “ And  I do  not  think 
that  he  could  be  loyal  to  anyone  but  to  himself.” 

Gustavus  Adolphus  had  now  passed  through  the  first 
months  of  war  and  his  troops  were  in  winter  quarters. 
When  spring  came,  Tilly  and  Pappenheim  marched  on 
Magdeburg ; — the  Swedish  King  was  unable  to  come  to  its 
defence — and  in  the  Fall,  the  town  was  sacked  and  burned 
to  the  ground.  Gustavus  felt  this  catastrophe  severely, 
but  it  had  been  impossible  for  him  to  prevent  it,  as  the 
Electors  — or  chief  men  of  the  provinces  which  lay 
between  his  army  and  Magdeburg  — refused  to  allow 
him  to  cross  their  land  to  the  assistance  of  the  garrison. 
At  the  downfall  of  that  proud  city,  the  Catholics  rejoiced 
and  taunted  the  Protestants  with  their  jeers;  while  many 
were  cowed  and  disheartened  by  the  awful  fate  of  the  once 
prosperous  town.  Gustavus  fell  back  from  his  winter 
quarters  and  waited  for  Tilly  to  approach. 

But  the  old  Corporal  did  not  meet  him  until  months 
later,  and  not  until  he  had  been  joined  by  Pappenheim : 
the  Troublesome,  with  his  cuirassiers.  Together  they 
marched  towards  Leipsic,  where  Gustavus  waited  the 
attack,  reinforced  by  a Saxon  army  of  considerable  pro- 
portions. Leipsic  capitulated  to  the  Catholic  army,  but, 
as  the  forces  of  the  North  approached,  Tilly  marched  out 
to  Breitenfeld  to  measure  arms  with  the  Snow  King,  as 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


109 


Gustavus  was  called.  He  was  confident  of  victory,  for 
he  had  a splendid  army  of  veterans ; he  had  never  lost  a 
great  battle;  and  was  eager  to  test  his  strength  with  that 
of  the  Swedes  and  Saxons. 

In  the  essay  on  Pappenheim,  we  have  seen  how  Gus- 
tavus won  the  day;  how  the  fiery  Pappenheim,  unable 
to  curb  his  tempestuous  cavalrymen ; attempted  to 
break  the  Swedish  right,  only  to  be  met  by  such  a check 
that  he  was  forced  to  flee.  How  Old  Father  Tilly  had 
looked  upon  this  advance  with  perfect  dismay,  as  he  had 
not  given  the  word  to  charge,  and  how  the  Swedes  ad- 
vanced, captured  Tilly’s  guns,  and  turned  them  on  the 
fleeing  Germans;  who  had  been  totally  unable  to  pierce 
the  Swedish  line.  Tilly  himself  was  three  times  wounded, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in  the  arms  of  his  men, 
bitterly  cursing  the  turn  of  his  fortune. 

As  for  Gustavus,  he  was  at  once  recognized  as  the  Prot- 
estant Hero,  and  those  who  had  belittled  him  before  now 
did  nothing  but  praise  his  merits.  Germany  was  filled 
with  pamphlets  to  his  valour,  and  pictures  and  medals 
of  Gustavus  the  Great  were  struck  off  by  the  hundreds. 
Recruits  flocked  to  his  standard,  while  the  spirit  of  the 
Swedes  was  tremendously  heightened  by  the  great  victory. 
Gustavus  was  secure  in  his  line  of  communication  with 
the  North ; the  electors  of  the  neighbouring  provinces  had 
declared  their  allegiance  to  him ; and  so  he  moved  con- 
fidently into  middle  Germany,  making  treaties  with  all 
the  provinces  which  he  crossed,  and  with  all  the  free  cities. 
His  operations  appeared  slow  and  cautious;  but  they 
were  sure.  The  Imperialists  retreated  before  him,  curs- 
ing him  at  every  step,  and  furious  at  his  success;  for 


110  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Gustavus  had  risen  to  a height  beyond  being  King  of 
Sweden  and  had  assumed  the  task  of  establishing,  with- 
out question,  the  equality  of  the  Protestant  faith  with  that 
of  the  Catholic  religion. 

The  Snow  King  (as  Gustavus  was  called)  would  gladly 
have  returned  to  Sweden,  did  not  he  feel  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  remain  and  protect  the  Protestants  from  the  re- 
venge of  the  Catholics  which  would  surely  come  if  his 
army  were  withdrawn.  Speaking  upon  the  subject,  one 
day,  he  said,  “ Believe  me,  I love  a comfortable  life  as  well 
as  any  man,  and  I have  no  desire  to  die  an. early  death. 
The  Emperor  would  readily  make  a separate  peace  with 
me,  to  get  me  to  return  to  Sweden ; but  I dare  not  leave 
so  many  innocent  people  subject  to  his  revenge.  Were 
it  not  for  this,  I would  soon  get  me  gone.”  He  was  warned 
of  assassination,  at  the  same  time,  for  a priest  was  dis- 
covered in  his  room,  one  day,  with  a dagger  concealed 
beneath  his  cloak;  and  wagers  were  frequently  made 
that  he  would  not  live  to  leave  the  country.  For  this 
reason  he  was  urged  to  keep  a body  guard  around  him, 
and  was  often  asked  by  some  of  his  generals,  to  allow  them 
to  do  so,  but,  to  all  such  requests,  he  would  reply,  “ Then 
you  would  have  me  disregard  the  protection  of  God ; like 
a coward.  No,  I will  not  hear  of  such  a thing.” 

A few  months  later  — after  he  had  advanced  with  his 
army  to  the  river  Danube,  in  the  South  of  Germany  — 
he  was  riding  out  to  make  a reconnaissance  of  the  works 
before  Ingolstadt,  when  his  horse  was  shot  and  fell  from 
under  him.  A cannon  ball  struck  the  animal,  just  behind 
the  place  where  the  King’s  knee  gripped  the  saddle,  and, 
as  he  rolled  upon  the  ground,  Gustavus  extricated  him- 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


111 


self  with  little  difficulty  and  had  soon  mounted  another 
charger.  The  news  of  this  mishap  reached  the  ears  of  all, 
and  at  dinner  one  of  his  generals  requested  him  not  to  so 
recklessly  expose  himself  in  the  future.  But  to  this 
counsel,  the  King  remarked : “I  take  God  and  my  con- 
science to  witness,  as  well  as  all  the  tribulations  I am 
undergoing  and  shall  undergo,  that  I have  left  my  King- 
dom and  all  I deem  of  value,  solely  for  the  security  of  my 
fatherland,  to  put  an  end  to  the  fearful,  religious  tyranny 
that  exists ; and  in  order  to  replace  the  Protestant  Princes 
and  estates  of  Germany,  in  their  rights  and  freedom,  and 
to  win  for  us  all  a permanent  peace.  As  to  my  exposing 
myself  upon  the  field  of  battle,  remember  the  old  adage, 
‘ Whoso  lives  for  honour  must  know  how  to  die  for  the 
universal  good.’  ” 

In  spite  of  the  open-handed  dealings  of  the  Swedish 
King,  many  Princes  of  Europe  did  not  trust  him;  for 
unselfish  devotion  to  any  cause  was  such  a rarity,  that  no 
one  believed  him  when  he  stated  that  his  conquests  were 
for  the  good  of  the  Protestants,  alone.  When  he  arrived 
before  the  city  of  Munich,  he  said  to  the  townspeople, 
“ I could  inflict  on  you  the  penalties  of  Magdeburg  — but 
fear  not,  my  word  is  worth  more  than  your  capitulation 
papers.”  In  spite  of  this  excellent  treatment  of  the  Ger- 
mans, they  were  hostile  and  rebellious.  The  country 
people  put  every  Swedish  soldier  to  death,  whom  they 
captured  away  from  the  army ; and  tortured  them  severely. 
In  Bavaria,  prayers  were  said  in  all  the  churches,  which 
ran,  “ God  save  us  from  our  country’s  enemy,  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  the  Swedish  devil.”  Preachers  delivered  long 
sermons  against  the  invader,  and  besought  the  young  men 


112  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


to  join  the  armies  of  King  Ferdinand  in  order  to  check 
the  advances  of  this  alien.  Even  France  became  terrified 
at  the  victories  of  the  Swedes  and  feared  that  a second 
Charlemagne  had  arrived  who  would  soon  invade  the 
peaceful  soil  of  that  fruitful  country,  and  annex  the  ter- 
ritory to  the  Swedish  dominions.  Furthermore,  as  Tilly — 
the  rough  and  ready  fighter  — had  been  wounded  so 
badly  in  a battle  near  Lech  river  that  he  had  died, 
things  looked  most  propitious  for  the  Protestant  cause. 

But — at  this  juncture  — Wallenstein  again  appeared: 
Wallenstein,  the  proud  and  presumptious  Catholic  noble, 
who  was  so  powerful  that  the  German  Emperor,  himself, 
feared  him  and  did  not  employ  him  for  his  service  until 
forced  to  it  by  dire  necessity.  He  had  sulked  in  sullen 
retirement  while  Tilly  had  been  endeavouring  to  defeat 
the  armies  of  Gustavus,  and,  before  he  would  again  fight 
for  the  Emperor,  he  demanded  the  exclusive  military 
power  over  all  the  territory  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
the  right  to  dictate  the  plan  of  operations.  King  Fer- 
dinand weakly  gave  in  to  these  terms,  and,  with  a follow- 
ing of  cut-throats,  robbers  and  plunderers;  Wallenstein 
marched  to  attack  the  victorious  Snow  King,  whom  no 
one  seemed  to  be  able  to  stop  in  his  onward  progress, 
and  who  now  confronted  the  army  of  the  Catholics  with 
a force  one-third  its  size  but  of  infinitely  more  activity. 
“ There  has  been  too  much  fighting,”  said  the  Czech 
(as  Wallenstein  was  called).  “ I will  show  the  Swedes 
another  method  and  one  that  will  quickly  wear  the  Swedish 
King  to  a shadow.” 

So  the  Catholics  would  not  fight,  no  matter  how  much 
Gustavus  tempted  them  to  battle,  but  sat  down  in  front 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


113 


of  Niirnberg  in  the  endeavour  to  starve  the  Swedish  army 
into  submission.  The  Northerners  had  fortified  them- 
selves in  the  town  and  advanced  again  and  again  into  the 
open  plain  to  challenge  Wallenstein  to  fight,  but  he  would 
not  do  so.  Once  Gustavus  sent  out  three  regiments  of 
dragoons  and  cuirassiers  to  capture  a train  of  three 
thousand  wagons,  on  their  way  to  Wallenstein’s  camp 
from  Bavaria,  and  followed  after  them,  himself,  with 
three  thousand  horsemen.  Wallenstein  heard  of  the 
movement  and  dispatched  four  squadrons  of  cavalry; 
twenty  companies  of  Croats;  and  five  hundred  foot  sol- 
diers to  aid  the  convoy.  They  met  the  cuirassiers  of  Gus- 
tavus not  far  beyond  the  walls  of  the  town,  and  the  Swedish 
King  attacked  them  with  so  much  fury  that  not  only  was 
the  wagon  train  captured,  but  also  the  troops  which 
Wallenstein  had  sent  to  aid  the  safe  passage  of  the  stores 
within  his  lines.  It  was  a great  victory  for  Gustavus  and 
never  had  he  dashed  into  the  fray  with  more  fiery  zeal 
than  on  that  day.  “ He  was  like  a meteor,”  says  a writer 
of  the  period,  “ and  risked  his  body  along  with  the  com- 
mon soldiers.  I saw  him  knock  many  a brave  fellow  from 
his  horse,  and  deal  some  blows  that  a giant  alone  could 
have  swung.  He  was  a fury  in  the  charge,  and  so  cowed 
the  enemy  by  his  vigorous  assaults  that  they  fled  before 
him  like  flies  before  the  rain.” 

But  hunger  soon  appeared  in  the  camp,  and  although 
there  were  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  bakers  in  Niirn- 
berg,  they  could  not  bake  bread  fast  enough  to  fill  the 
hungry  mouths  of  the  army ; for  there  wrere  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  souls  within  the  city.  Soon  the 
dead  lay  in  the  street,  with  no  one  to  bury  them;  while 


114  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


lack  of  corn,  hay,  and  oats,  killed  half  the  cavalry  and 
artillery  horses.  The  condition  of  the  town  was  frightful 
and  the  soldiers  began  to  clamour  for  a battle  to  relieve 
the  awful  monotony  of  their  lives.  Disease  and  hunger 
played  havoc  with  the  rank  and  file.  The  citizens  of 
Nurnberg  demanded  that  the  Swedish  army  should  de- 
part, or  they  would  all  perish  from  starvation. 

Spurred  on  by  this  appeal,  Gustavus  determined  to  once 
more  endeavour  to  tempt  the  Catholic  commander  to 
battle  in  the  open,  so  he  again  marched  his  troops  from 
the  town,  hoping  to  draw  the  wily  Wallenstein  from  his 
entrenchments.  But  the  Czech  would  not  budge  an  inch 
from  his  position  and  contented  himself  with  shelling  the 
Swedish  army  with  a few  of  his  cannon.  Some  small  de- 
tachments were  finally  sent  out  from  his  lines  to  give 
battle  with  the  Swedish  advance,  and  a sharp  skirmish 
was  begun  which  ended  in  the  retreat  of  the  Catholic 
troops.  This  was  all  that  Wallenstein  would  do.  Im- 
patient with  this  lack  of  fighting  spirit  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy,  Gustavus  (who  was  by  no  means  as  cautious  as 
Wallenstein)  determined  to  attack  the  Catholic  forces  in 
their  entrenchments. 

Next  day  at  ten  in  the  morning  the  Swedish  foot-soldiers 
marched  with  great  confidence  against  the  fortifications 
in  their  front.  They  had  stuck  green  boughs  in  their  hats 
as  a sign  of  cheerful  courage,  and,  as  they  had  stormed 
breaches  on  the  torn  walls  of  battlements,  again  and  again, 
the  well-manned  walls  in  their  faces  did  not  inspire  them 
with  terror.  As  they  approached  the  works  of  Wallen- 
stein, the  fire  grew  most  deadly,  many  officers  and  men 
fell  before  the  rain  of  bullets,  and  Gustavus  had  the  sole 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


115 


of  his  boot  pierced  by  a ball.  Still  they  kept  on  with  vig- 
our, and  so  terrified  was  Wallenstein  that  they  would  carry 
his  works,  that  he  launched  a regiment  of  his  cuirassiers 
upon  the  line.  They  were  routed  and  dispersed  while  the 
foot  soldiers  stormed  a height  facing  a castle  in  the  Cath- 
olic lines  and  held  it  against  the  furious  cannonading  of 
the  Imperialistic  troops.  For  twelve  long  hours  the  fighting 
lasted,  and  -when  it  was  over,  the  Swedes  lay  down  upon 
their  arms,  to  renew  the  struggle  upon  the  following  day. 

When  morning  came  the  attack  was  begun  and  all  day 
the  battle  raged  with  fury.  Night  closed  upon  a field 
strewn  with  the  dead,  while  Wallenstein  was  unmoved 
from  his  position.  To  him  belonged  the  victory  of  the 
affair,  while  to  Gustavus  Adolphus  belonged  the  honour. 
His  men  were  not  disheartened  by  the  outcome.  He, 
himself,  understood  his  failure,  and  sat  down  to  remain 
in  this  vicinity  as  long  as  there  was  any  hope  of  again  meet- 
ing the  forces  of  the  crafty  Wallenstein,  who  still  sat  sul- 
lenly in  his  entrenchments;  refusing  to  come  out  and 
fight,  while  his  men  starved  by  the  thousands  and  the 
country  side  was  made  into  a desert. 

But  Gustavus  was  eager  for  battle.  A few  days  later  he 
sent  Wallenstein  a challenge  to  march  out  and  fight  in 
the  open,  and  at  an  hour  specified  in  his  note  of  challenge, 
he  drew  up  his  men  in  the  plain  in  front  of  the  Imperial 
camp.  But  Wallenstein  would  not  move  from  his  posi- 
tion ; he  could  not  be  tempted  to  come  out  upon  the  plain, 
and  did  not  even  send  an  answer  to  the  note  of  challenge. 
So  Gustavus  threw  a fewr  shells  into  the  Catholic  camp 
and  then  retired.  “ I have  attacked  the  enemy’s  entrench- 
ments and  have  been  beaten  back,”  he  said,  “ but  if  I 


116  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


could  have  only  had  old  Wallenstein  in  an  open  field,  I 
would  have  shown  the  world  how  well  the  Swedish  army 
could  have  drubbed  him.”  And  shortly  afterwards  he 
retreated  towards  the  North,  hoping  to,  at  last,  draw  the 
leader  of  the  Imperialistic  forces  into  a fight,  where  there 
was  room  to  move  the  troops  and  cavalry,  with  no  en- 
trenchments to  shelter  the  enemy  behind. 

Gustavus  pushed  his  army  (now  half  depleted  through 
sickness  and  disease)  into  Swabia,  and  while  conquering 
this  country,  discovered  that  Wallenstein  was  marching 
into  Saxony, — a territory  allied  to  the  Swedes  and  to  the 
Protestant  Cause.  The  Catholic  General  swept  all  be- 
fore him  — took  the  city  of  Leipsic  — and  sat  down  to 
wait  for  Gustavus  to  attack  him  in  this  position.  Pappen- 
heim  had  brought  up  his  marauders  and  cut-throats  to 
add  to  the  forces  at  his  command,  and  the  great  Czech 
felt  confident  of  success  with  the  Swedish  King.  And  he 
did  not  again  wait  to  be  attacked  behind  his  entrench- 
ments, but,  advancing  to  the  village  of  Liitzen,  placed  his 
army  across  the  highway  leading  to  Leipsic,  with  the 
ditches  along  the  sides  of  the  roads  in  front  of  his  lines,  to 
act  as  fortifications  in  the  same  way  that  the  old  railroad 
embankment  sheltered  the  Confederates  in  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  Here  Gustavus  found  his  enemy, 
and  here  the  two  armies  met  in  that  mighty  battle,  the 
record  of  which  will  be  for  ever  written  bright  upon  the 
pages  of  history. 

Wallenstein  remained  in  the  centre  of  his  own  lines,  as 
he  suffered  so  severely  from  gout  in  his  feet  that  he  could 
not  mount  his  horse.  He  directed  the  movements  of  his 
troops  from  a litter  and  drew  up  his  men  in  solid  lines,  as 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS  BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  OF  LUTZEN 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


117 


it  was  his  purpose  to  fight  a purely  defensive  battle  and  to 
hold  the  causeway  for  an  entrenchment.  Gustavus  was 
mounted  upon  his  black  charger  and  was  clad  in  a 
suit  of  dark  clothes  with  no  helmet  and  cuirass.  A wound 
in  his  shoulder  was  so  painful  that  it  hurt  him  severely 
whenever  he  put  on  his  armour,  and,  in  spite  of  the  re- 
quests of  his  generals,  he  refused  to  wear  a breast-plate. 
He  was  eager  for  the  fray,  for,  at  last,  after  months  of 
sparring  with  the  enemy,  he  was  to  meet  him  upon  open 
ground,  where  it  would  be  possible  to  test  the  merits  of 
army  against  army,  under  equal  conditions.  His  men 
were  keen  as  he  was  for  the  contest  and  were  directed  to 
endeavour  to  cut  off  Wallenstein  from  Leipsic  and  to  cap- 
ture the  town  by  cutting  to  pieces  the  right  wing  of  the  Im- 
perialists. The  speech  of  the  Snow  King  to  his  men  was 
short  and  to  the  point.  He  rode  out  in  front  of  the  lines, 
after  prayers  had  been  said  by  the  Chaplains,  and  a hymn : 
“ Ein  Feste  Burg,”  (which  he  had  written  himself)  had 
been  sung,  — and  said,  “ Forward  in  God’s  name!  Fight 
as  you  have  never  fought  before.  God  is  with  us  and  our 
holy  cause.” 

Gustavus,  himself,  headed  his  own  cavalry,  which  were 
mounted  on  stout,  cobby  horses  and  armed  with  long 
swords  and  a double  brace  of  pistols.  Clad  in  cuirass, 
helmet,  and  strong  leather  boots,  it  took  a good  shot,  or 
a well-directed  sword  thrust,  to  lay  them  low.  They  were 
powerful  fellows;  wiry;  hardy;  and  tough.  Battle  was 
food  and  drink  to  them,  and  they  loved  a charge  as  a man 
of  modern  times,  who  has  red  blood  in  his  veins,  loves  a 
steeple-chase  or  a fox-hunt  over  a country  full  of  open 
fields  and  snake  fences.  It  was  ten  o’clock  before  they 


118  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


advanced  to  grapple  with  the  enemy,  for  a dense  fog  lay 
over  the  plains  in  the  early  morning  which  burned  off  at 
this  time,  and,  after  a sharp  artillery  duel  (similar  to  that 
on  the  last  day  of  Gettysburg)  the  Swedes  advanced  to  go 
in  to  the  enemy  and  fight  hand-to-hand. 

On  the  right,  the  cavalry  squadrons  — headed  by  the 
King  — - dashed  into  the  black  horsemen  of  General 
Piccolomini,  and  soon  a furious  struggle  began.  But, 
although  they  fought  like  heroes,  the  tough  and  hardy 
Imperialistic  Cavalrymen  were  not  strong  enough  for  the 
Swedish  horse.  The  columns  of  the  enemy  broke  before 
the  onslaught  and  retreated  across  the  rolling  plains, 
hacked  to  pieces  as  they  went  by  the  keen  and  courageous 
Swedes.  Wallenstein  was  furious  with  anger  as  he  watched 
this  retreat  and  moved  about  so  restlessly  in  his  litter  that 
he  had  to  be  placed  upon  the  ground.  Nor  was  he  any 
more  pleased  when  he  saw  the  Swedish  cavalry  on  his 
right  flank  penetrate  his  own  lines  and  send  his  own  cui- 
rassiers galloping  in  confusion  to  the  rear.  In  the  centre 
the  infantry  of  the  Snow  King  advanced  upon  the  roadside 
ditches;  drove  Wallenstein’s  musketeers  pell-mell  out  of 
their  entrenchments,  and  captured  the  battery  of  artillery 
in  the  centre  of  the  line.  The  first  attack  of  the  Swedes 
had  been  a great  success,  and  all  looked  bright  for  the 
soldiers  of  Gustavus. 

As  is  always  the  case  when  soldiers  are  victorious,  the 
Swedish  infantry  became  strung  out  and  somewhat  dis- 
organized when  they  pushed  the  Imperialistic  foot  back, 
across  the  hills.  Wallenstein  saw  this,  and  immediately 
ordered  some  cavalry  regiments  — held  in  reserve  — to 
charge  the  victorious  Swedes  as  they  came  exultantly  on- 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


119 


ward.  With  a wild  cheer  of  defiance,  several  Imperial- 
istic cavalry  regiments  swept  down  upon  the  Swedish  foot 
like  a torrent.  They  broke  the  disorganized  infantry 
brigades ; forced  them  backwards ; and  although  they  had 
captured  one  battery;  it  was  retaken.  Some  of  the  re- 
serve cavalry  regiments  of  the  Swedes  dashed  to  the  rescue. 
A furious  and  sanguinary  hand-to-hand  fight  took  place 
in  the  centre  of  the  field,  and,  in  spite  of  all  that  they  could 
do,  the  troops  of  Gustavus  began  to  waver  and  break. 
It  looked  as  if  their  first  success  would  be  turned  into  a 
dire  defeat. 

At  this  stage  of  the  battle  Gustavus  was  still  employed 
in  driving  the  cavalry  regiments  before  him,  on  the  right. 
Sword  in  hand,  he  was  just  as  seriously  engaged  in  the 
fray  as  any  of  his  soldiers,  when  a courier  dashed  up  to 
him. 

“ Your  centre  is  breaking,  O King ! ” he  said.  “ You 
must  do  something,  at  once,  or  else  our  victory  will  be 
turned  into  an  utter  defeat.” 

Gustavus  wheeled  his  black  charger  and  looked  in  the 
direction  of  the  central  line. 

“ It  is  as  you  say,”  he  gasped,  as  he  saw  the  confusion 
of  his  troops.  “ I will  come  at  once,  and  with  my  cav- 
alry.” 

Placing  himself  immediately  at  the  head  of  the  Smaland 
cavalry  regiment  and  raising  his  sword  aloft  to  urge  on 
his  men,  he  galloped  in  the  direction  of  the  centre.  He 
was  over-eager;  over-zealous;  over-impetuous;  and  in 
the  fog  which  was  slowly  drifting  back  upon  the  field,  he 
rode  well  out  in  front  of  his  men.  Heading  towards  the 
place  where  he  expected  to  find  his  infantry;  he  dashed 


120  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


along;  confident  that  he  would  soon  rally  his  beaten 
squadrons,  and  that  the  temporary  rout  would  soon  be 
turned  to  victory.  Suddenly  he  rode  into  a body  of  cav- 
alry, — - they  were  Imperialists. 

“ Who  goes  there?  ” called  one.  “ Friend  or  foe?  ” 
Gustavus  did  not  answer,  but  swerved  his  horse,  and 
attempted  to  gallop  away  in  the  direction  of  his  own  army. 
A shot  rang  out  in  the  mist.  It  struck  the  noble  monarch 
in  the  bridle  arm,  but  it  did  not  stop  him.  Another  shot 
sounded  through  the  dense  vapour,  and  a bullet  pierced 
the  Snow  King  through  the  body.  Fie  fell  headlong  from 
his  horse,  and  the  riderless  animal  dashed  into  his  lines 
and  warned  his  devoted  followers  of  the  loss  of  their  be- 
loved leader. 

There  was  now  a lull  in  the  battle,  and  when  the  King’s 
charger  ran  into  his  own  troops,  the  men  were  furious  at 
the  loss  which  they  had  sustained. 

“ Revenge,”  they  shouted.  “ Revenge  on  Wallenstein, 
the  German  dog.  Revenge  for  Gustavus  the  Noble  ! ” 
They  re-formed ; again  pressed  forward ; and  in  the  fog 
and  gathering  darkness,  the  two  armies  struck,  and  fought, 
and  bled,  in  terrible  confusion.  Pappenheim  — the  great 
Imperial  horseman  — • had  been  killed  in  a cavalry  charge, 
and  his  men,  too,  were  keen  for  revenge.  The  cavalry  on 
the  wings  fought  doggedly;  the  infantry  in  the  centre 
struck  out  with  pike,  rapier,  and  halberd ; and  thousands 
gave  up  their  lives  upon  that  bloody  field.  When  night  fell 
the  ground  was  strewn  with  corpses,  and  both  sides  rested 
upon  their  arms,  sullen  and  stern  at  the  dreadful  losses  of 
the  day ; and  determined  to  renew  the  conflict  in  the  morn- 
ing. But,  when  the  sun  burned  off  the  morning  mist 


GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS 


121 


Wallenstein’s  mighty  army  was  in  full  retreat  and  the  relics 
of  his  once  proud  columns  were  straggling  into  Bohemia. 
To  the  Swedes  was  given  the  field  of  battle,  but  it  could 
not  repay  them  for  the  loss  of  Gustavus  Adolphus.  The 
whole  army  mourned  him,  and  was  so  dejected  at  his 
untimely  death,  that  it  had  neither  the  heart  nor  the  cour- 
age to  follow  up  its  hollow  victory. 

So  died  Gustavus  Adolphus;  the  Lion  of  the  North; 
one  of  the  greatest  Captains  of  History  and  a man  of  tre- 
mendous force  and  personal  courage.  He  left  one  of  the 
cleanest  records  of  the  ages;  he  led  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful armies  which  the  world  has  ever  known,  and  when 
his  soul  went  out  upon  the  bleeding  sod  at  Lutzen,  the 
mighty  army  under  his  command  was  like  a ship  without 
a rudder.  His  lieutenants  endeavoured  to  carry  out  his 
system  and  his  plans;  but  there  was  not  one  who  was 
equal  to  the  task.  Soon  a truce  was  declared  and  the  glory 
that  had  once  been  Sweden’s,  melted  away  into  nothing- 
ness, and  it  has  remained  in  such  a condition  for  ever 
since.  No  second  Gustavus  Adolphus  has  ever  arisen, 
who  could  duplicate  the  deeds  of  the  Peerless  Lion  of  the 
North. 


PRINCE  RUPERT : THE  IMPETUOUS. 
[1619 — 1682] 


E'VERY  war  has  its  heroes.  Among  the  vast  num- 
bers of  combatants  there  are  a few  whose  valour 
shines  above  the  rest  and  whose  names  adorn  the 
pages  of  history.  Prince  Rupert  is  one  of  these.  A prince 
of  Germany  and  descended  from  a noble  line  of  ancestors, 
his  name  appears  most  brilliantly  in  the  records  of  that 
warfare  which  unseated  Charles  the  First  of  England  and 
led  to  the  accession  of  Oliver  Cromwell  to  the  chief 
executive  command.  As  a leader  of  light  horse  his  great 
ability  will  always  be  recognized.  .An  impulsive  man : 
as  high  tempered  as  a thoroughbred ; impetuous ; daring ; 
imaginative ; he  had  every  quality  of  mind  that  is  requisite 
for  a leader  of  cavalry.  Had  he  possessed  more  caution 
it  is  possible  that  his  fame  as  a general  might  be  more 
secure. 

Three  portraits  of  the  German  Prince  have  come  down 
to  us  from  the  past.  The  earliest  is  by  Van  Dyck  and  was 
painted  when  Rupert  made  his  first  visit  to  England  in  the 
year  1635.  The  picture  still  hangs  at  Coombe  Abbey,  the 
country  house  of  gallant  Lord  Craven.  It  shows  Rupert 
to  be  a handsome  young  man ; tall  and  thin,  with  a frank, 
open  expression.  His  face  is  oval  and  nose  extraordi- 
narily long  and  aristocratic.  As  was  the  custom  of  the 

122 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


123 


period,  a thick  mass  of  curls  hang  on  either  side  of  his 
head.  He  is  richly  dressed  as  befits  the  rank  of  a nephew 
of  the  King  of  England. 

The  second  is  by  Dobson,  painted  at  the  time  of  the 
Cromwellian  war,  and  labelled,  “ The  Most  Illustrious 
and  High  Born  Prince  Rupert,  Prince  Elector  Palatine 
of  the  Rhine,  Second  Son  to  Frederick  King  of  Bohemia, 
General  of  His  Majesty’s  Army,  Knight  of  the  Most  Noble 
Order  of  the  Garter,  etc.”  As  is  to  be  expected,  the  years 
of  stress  and  storm  have  left  their  mark  upon  his  coun- 
tenance. Where  — in  the  first  portrait  — the  face  shows 
no  lines  of  care  or  sorrow,  in  the  second  the  expression  is 
one  of  dogged  sullenness.  He  is  thinner  than  before  and 
more  careworn.  His  mouth  has  a hard  look  about  it  and 
his  eyes  are  melancholy.  A tangled  mass  of  dark  hair 
hangs  on  either  side  of  his  hollow  cheeks  and  the  curls  of 
youth  are  no  longer  here,  for  the  man  of  experience  has 
taken  the  place  of  the  careless  boy. 

Again  there  is  a third  portrait  of  this  dashing  blade. 
It  is  by  a German  artist,  Kneller  by  name,  and  painted 
at  a still  later  date,  when  Rupert  had  matured  into  a man 
of  middle  age.  He  is  more  haggard  than  before  and  deeper 
lines  are  about  the  mouth  and  chin.  Yet  the  expression 
is  more  pleasing  than  in  the  second  picture,  and  shows 
that  in  later  years  he  could  smile  at  the  battles  of  the  past. 
Time  has  mellowed  his  impetuous  nature  and  softened  the 
dogged  spirit  to  a mature  cynicism.  These  three  pictures 
are  a perfect  portrayal  of  the  man’s  life  : the  first  part  was 
joyous ; care  free : the  second  full  of  danger,  recklessness 
and  excitement ; the  third  and  last  was  quiet  and  reflect- 
ive. It  was  a man’s  life,  — well  spent  and  full  of  that 


124  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


excitement  and  action  which  those  of  a vigorous  tempera- 
ment enjoy. 

Rupert  was  born  in  Bohemia  in  1619,  — the  son  of 
Frederick  V,  Elector  Palatine  of  the  Rhine,  and  Elizabeth 
Stuart,  daughter  of  James  I and  of  Anne  of  Denmark. 
Germany  was  then  in  the  throes  of  the  Thirty  Years’  War, 
— a terrible  strife  in  which  thirty  thousand  villages  were 
destroyed,  five  hundred  thousand  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren were  butchered,  and  whole  provinces  were  wasted. 
When  Frederick  V assumed  the  title  of  King  of  Bohemia, 
he  brought  upon  himself  the  wrath  of  Ferdinand,  the 
German  Emperor,  who  claimed  Bohemia  as  his  own  prov- 
ince. To  maintain  his  position,  it  was  necessary  to  fight, 
for  Ferdinand  quickly  organized  an  army  and  sent  it 
against  him.  But  Frederick  could  gain  no  allies.  He  was 
badly  defeated  at  Prague  and  was  forced  to  flee  precipi- 
tously; leaving  his  young  son  Rupert  behind  him.  Had 
it  not  been  for  his  chamberlain,  the  Baron  d’Honal,  Ru- 
pert would  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Luckily 
for  him,  he  was  picked  up,  tossed  into  a carriage,  and 
driven  after  his  father  upon  the  gallop.  He  caught  up 
with  him  at  Breslau  in  the  old  castle  of  Custrin,  where  the 
night  was  passed.  Certainly  a haphazard  escape  for  the 
little  boy  and  a characteristic  beginning  of  a romantic  life. 

Soon  Rupert  was  to  be  alone  in  the  world,  for  his  poor 
father  — deprived  of  all  position  and  power  — died,  lit- 
erally of  a broken  heart.  He  was  allied  both  in  sympathy 
and  fortune  with  Gustavus  Adolphus,  King  of  Sweden, 
and  could  not  survive  the  news  of  his  tragic  death.  We 
have  no  clear  record  of  Rupert’s  youth  after  this.  We 
know  that  he  attended  the  University  of  Leyden  and 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


125 


gained  a smattering  of  education,  but  whether  he  grad- 
uated, or  not,  there  is  no  method  of  deciding.  At  any  rate 
he  was  a great  favourite,  showed  a strong  liking  for  things 
military,  and  was  said  by  an  admirer  to  be  able  to  com- 
mand a regiment  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age;  for, 
at  this  time,  he  served  as  a private  among  the  Prince  of 
Orange’s  Life  Guard  in  the  war  between  Spain  and  Hol- 
land, and,  although  the  war  ended  abruptly,  Rupert  seems 
to  have  won  well-merited  praise  for  his  service.  On  more 
than  one  occasion,  he  was  patted  on  the  back  by  the  older 
officers  and  informed  that  he  had  done  his  duty  like  a fine, 
old  soldier. 

But  now  Rupert  was  to  visit  England,  the  land  in  which 
his  military  fame  was  to  be  made  and  where  he  was  to 
gain  that  renown  from  which  he  is  world  famous.  As 
Charles  the  First,  the  reigning  monarch,  was  his  uncle,  his 
introduction  at  court  was  under  the  pleasantest  auspices. 
He  was  popular  with  all,  for  his  personal  beauty  and 
winning  ways  were  most  engaging.  Made  an  honorary 
Master  of  Arts  by  the  Oxford  University,  he  was  enter- 
tained royally  both  there  and  at  many  country  houses 
which  he  visited  with  the  King,  where  there  were  boating 
parties  on  the  river,  hunting  in  Windsor  or  Richmond 
Forest,  and  many  another  diversion.  The  happy  hours 
went  only  too  rapidly  by  for  the  youthful  Rupert. 

But  the  time  soon  came  when  duty  demanded  that  he 
should  return  to  Holland.  “ Would  that  I could  break 
my  neck  in  the  hunting  field  and  leave  my  bones  in  Eng- 
land,” he  said  to  his  Uncle,  the  King;  upon  the  day  of 
parting.  Little  did  he  think  at  the  time  that  he  would 
come  near  leaving  them  there  but  a few  months  later,  for 


126  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


cruel  war  was  brewing  in  England  and  before  many  more 
days  the  quiet  countryside  would  resound  with  the  clash 
of  arms  and  the  shouts  of  infuriated  men. 

On  returning  to  Holland  Rupert  found  a war  already 
in  progress.  The  Prince  of  Orange  had  opened  hostilities 
upon  the  Palatinate  and  was  besieging  the  town  of  Breda. 
Here  the  young  Prince  was  put  in  charge  of  several  forlorn 
hopes,  and  displayed  a reckless  courage  which  won  the 
admiration  of  all  the  rough  soldiers  of  the  Dutch  army. 
Although  constantly  exposing  himself  under  the  most 
gruelling  fire,  he  escaped  all  danger  and  came  through 
this  severe  fighting  without  a scratch  upon  his  person. 
Breda  fell  and  Rupert  returned  to  the  Hague,  determined 
to  raise  a force  of  his  own  and  join  in  the  campaign  which 
was  to  be  waged  against  the  German  Imperialists. 

Before  long  he  had  three  regiments  of  cavalry,  one  of 
guards,  two  of  dragoons,  and  a small  force  of  artillery. 
Count  Konigsmark  wras  in  command  of  this  small  army 
of  4,000  men  and  Rupert  was  put  in  personal  charge  of 
one  regiment.  Full  of  zeal,  this  tiny  force  marched  forth 
to  battle  against  some  of  the  most  powerful  troops  of  the 
Continent.  The  reckless  courage  of  Count  Konigsmark 
seemed  equal  to  that  of  the  black-haired  Rupert.  First 
they  attacked  a fortress  at  Rheims.  The  garrison  was 
dispersed  by  Rupert’s  regiment,  when  they  had  marched 
from  their  fortifications  into  the  open,  but,  called  onward 
by  Konigsmark,  the  entire  army  was  soon  engaged  with 
a much  superior  force.  With  courage  and  abandon, 
Rupert  rode  to  the  attack.  His  horsemen  penetrated  to 
the  very  centre  of  the  Imperialistic  line.  It  seemed  as  if 
they  would  win  the  day,  until  a fresh  force  appeared  upon 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


127 


the  field,  came  up  upon  his  flank,  and  hemmed  the  vic- 
torious horsemen  in  a cordon  of  steel.  Rupert’s  plight 
was  desperate.  He  fought  hand-to-hand  with  several 
adversaries.  His  sword  was  broken  at  the  hilt  and  his 
enemies  attempted  to  cut  down  his  charger.  But  forcing 
his  way  between  the  many  soldiers  that  surrounded  him, 
the  gallant  Prince  galloped  his  horse  to  a wall  and  at- 
tempted to  leap  him  across  to  a place  of  safety.  Alas ! 
his  horse  could  not  jump  the  obstacle  on  account  of  a 
large  sabre  cut  in  his  chest.  Rupert  was  thrown  heavily 
against  the  wall;  in  a moment  more  he  was  surrounded 
and  overpowered,  and  his  first  battle  had  ended  disas- 
trously. 

Sent  to  the  fortress  of  Lintz  on  the  Danube,  there  he 
was  confined  for  three  years.  It  was  a tedious  time  for  a 
man  of  such  restless  spirit,  yet  he  passed  the  weary  hours 
in  drawing  and  painting.  The  talented  Aristocrat  made 
such  a favourable  impression  upon  his  gaolers  that,  after  a 
year  of  captivity,  he  was  allowed  considerable  freedom. 
The  Emperor  of  Germany’s  brother,  (the  Archduke  Leo- 
pold) was  so  much  pleased  with  him  that  he  was  granted 
many  privileges.  He  was  even  permitted  to  play  tennis 
and  to  be  away  from  his  prison  for  some  days  in  hunting 
expeditions  with  his  inseparable  companion  at  this  period 
of  his  life,  a beautiful  white  dog  called  Boy.  This  faithful 
animal  was  presented  to  him  by  Lord  Arundel  and  fol- 
lowed him  to  many  a camp  and  battle-ground  until  at 
last  he  met  his  death  at  the  bloody  field  of  Marston  Moor. 

When  he  was  eventually  set  free  he  found  that  another 
war  had  begun.  The  tradesmen;  shopkeepers  of  the 
town  ; the  yeomanry ; a considerable  number  of  the  coun- 


128  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


try  gentlemen ; and  a few  of  the  nobility  in  England,  had 
formed  a political  party  in  opposition  to  King  Charles. 
Upon  his  side  were  the  nobles,  the  clergy  and  a majority 
of  the  country  gentlemen.  Those  who  favoured  the  King 
were  called  The  Cavaliers,  while  those  who  opposed  his 
policy  of  government  were  derisively  named  Roundheads, 
from  the  Puritan  fashion  of  wearing  closely  cropped  hair. 
Charles  had  angered  his  people  by  governing  the  country 
as  an  irresponsible  despot,  levying  taxes  by  his  own  orders, 
and  imprisoning  such  persons  as  were  obnoxious  to  him. 
How  long  the  sober  English  people  would  have  borne  this 
tyranny  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  events  soon  came  to 
pass  which  precipitated  a struggle. 

After  various  altercations  with  Parliament,  King  Charles 
finally  committed  a despotic  act  intended  to  overcome  the 
refractory  Commons.  He  demanded  the  surrender  of 
five  of  the  most  troublesome  members,  on  a charge  of 
treason ; and,  as  they  were  not  given  up  on  the  following 
day,  the  King  went  to  the  House  of  Commons,  accom- 
panied by  a considerable  number  of  armed  men,  with 
orders  to  seize  them.  They  were  kept  away  by  other 
members.  This  infuriated  the  King  beyond  measure,  but 
it  angered  his  subjects  still  more,  for,  by  this  overt  act, 
Charles  had  insulted  the  nation. 

There  was  now  great  indignation  on  both  sides.  A 
bitter  controversy  waged  between  the  King  and  the  Com- 
mons, which  became  so  acute  that  the  members  of  Par- 
liament demanded  that  Charles  should  give  up  the  com- 
mand of  the  Army.  With  kingly  disdain,  he  refused  to  do 
this.  Thus  Civil  War  became  inevitable. 

Rupert  sailed  for  England,  determined  to  enlist  under 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


129 


his  uncle’s  banner,  but  he  came  near  not  fighting  at  all,  as 
some  ships  belonging  to  the  Roundheads  surrounded  the 
vessel  which  he  was  on.  But  they  ran  in  a fog  which 
allowed  the  prince’s  vessel  to  reach  shore  in  safety;  and 
thus  Rupert  was  soon  on  his  way  to  join  the  King. 

While  riding  to  meet  his  uncle  Charles,  his  horse  threw 
him,  dislocated  his  shoulder,  and  gave  him  such  a severe 
shaking  up  that  he  was  disabled  for  three  days.  But  he 
determined  to  press  onward  to  see  the  King  in  spite  of 
intense  pain  in  his  body.  Reaching  him  at  Leicester 
Abbey,  he  was  given  an  immediate  appointment  as  “ Gen- 
eral of  the  Royal  Horse,”  a company  of  but  eight  hundred 
men.  Although  few  in  numbers,  they  were  intensely  loyal 
to  their  King,  a sentiment  which  stirred  the  fiery  soul  of 
Rupert  with  burning  fervour,  for  he  was  devoted  to  his 
uncle  and  threw  himself  heart  and  soul  into  the  work  of 
raising  and  equipping  an  army  to  repel  the  advance  of  the 
Puritans. 

During  the  next  month,  Rupert  scoured  the  country 
for  recruits  to  the  Royal  Standard.  He  was,  at  this  time, 
twenty-three  years  of  age;  tall;  vigorous;  agile.  His 
dark  hair  flowed  gracefully  over  the  wide  collar  of  his  scarlet 
coat  and  his  eyes  blazed  with  the  zeal  of  his  fiery  nature. 
Followers  flocked  to  the  standard  of  this  gay  young  blade, 
at  once  attracted  by  his  manners  and  his  person.  So  great 
was  his  success,  that  finally  he  joined  the  King  with  over 
three  thousand  horsemen,  well  mounted,  well  equipped, 
bright  with  shining  mail  and  crimson  cloaks.  Naturally 
the  arrival  of  this  body  of  troops  cheered  up  Charles  tre- 
mendously, for  his  spirit  was  weighed  down  with  the  cares 
and  responsibilities  of  war.  Bad  news  came  thick  upon 


130  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


him,  as  the  Puritans  were  collecting  a far  greater  army 
than  he  had  thought  they  could  gather.  A sinister  omen, 
too,  had  attended  the  initial  raising  of  his  standard,  for  it 
had  blown  down  when  first  unfurled.  Again  it  had  been 
raised  by  willing  hands  and  again  a fierce  wind  drove  it 
to  the  turf.  Finally  it  was  carried  to  the  turret  of  a castle 
and  lashed  securely  to  the  flagstaff,  but  the  effect  of  this 
evil  sign  had  worked  upon  the  sensitive  mind  of  the  King. 
It  required  much  cheering  talk  from  Rupert  to  lighten  his 
drooping  spirit. 

As  for  the  feelings  of  the  chief  of  cavalry,  these  seem  to 
have  never  been  more  bright.  For  he  even  penetrated 
the  enemy’s  line  in  disguise  and  brought  off  much  needed 
information.  One  day  he  came  upon  an  apple  vendor 
driving  a cart  into  his  own  line.  Giving  him  a guinea,  he 
put  on  his  dirty  cap  and  smock,  seated  himself  in  the 
wagon,  and  drove  into  the  Puritan  camp.  There  he  stood 
up  inside  and  cried  out  loudly  that  he  had  apples  for  sale. 
The  Roundheads  flocked  around  him  and  soon  he  had 
disposed  of  all  his  stock.  Then,  with  a very  clear  idea  of 
the  disposition  and  numbers  of  the  enemy,  he  turned  about 
and  drove  to  his  own  army.  “ Go  tell  them  that  Prince 
Rupert  sends  his  compliments  and  wishes  to  inquire  how 
they  liked  the  apples  which  he  sold  them,”  he  said  to  the 
apple  vendor,  and  sent  him  back  to  the  Roundhead  army. 

When  this  occurred  it  was  October.  King  Charles  had 
10,000  men  at  Nottingham,  while  Essex,  leader  of  the 
Puritans,  confronted  him  with  a force  not  quite  so  large. 
The  Puritan  army  was  weak  from  lack  of  proper  cavalry 
and  the  soldiers  were  not  fired  with  the  same  zeal  that  in- 
flamed the  troops  of  the  Royal  army.  But  there  was 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


131 


jealousy  among  the  Generals  under  King  Charles  and 
some  insubordination.  Pushing  forward  with  determina- 
tion and  zeal,  the  rival  factions  met  at  Edgehill.  They 
came  together  on  Sunday,  about  mid-day.  Church  bells 
pealed  on  either  side  of  the  valley,  where  the  steel-clad 
warriors  met.  The  Puritans  chanted  hymns  and  prayed 
fervently  before  the  actual  conflict,  while  the  Cavaliers 
shouted  in  defiance  and  cheered  for  Rupert  and  the  King. 
Soon  the  cannon  began  to  roar  and  the  muskets  cracked. 
Rupert  with  his  waving  plume  and  crimson  cloak,  rode 
down  into  the  valley  at  the  head  of  his  horsemen.  They 
were  burning  for  the  fight.  “ Charge,”  he  called,  and, 
with  a great  cheer,  his  soldiers  fell  upon  the  Puritan  horse 
collected  on  the  right  flank.  They  broke  and  fled  pre- 
cipitously, while  Ramsay,  their  chief,  galloped  away  in 
dismay.  On,  on,  flew  the  Cavaliers  in  pursuit,  cutting 
down  the  Roundheads  to  the  right  and  left.  They  chased 
onward  to  the  baggage-train  and  here  -were  forced  back 
by  the  determined  resistance  of  two  regiments  of  infantry. 
The  victorious  Cavaliers  were  scattered  by  now  and  they 
had  no  alignment ; a misfortune  which  lost  the  day  for  the 
King. 

For  although  the  Royal  horse  on  the  left  wing,  had,  with 
headlong  fury,  driven  the  opposing  troops  before  them; 
the  centre  of  the  Puritan  Army,  including  a troop  under 
the  famous  Oliver  Cromwrell,  had  stood  up  triumphant. 
They  pressed  upon  the  King,  whom  they  now  outnum- 
bered; and  forced  his  men  back  in  disorder.  So  when 
Rupert  returned,  sure  of  victory  and  hoping  to  find  the 
King  pursuing  the  enemy,  to  his  dismay  he  found  him 
surrounded  by  a few  noblemen  and  defending  himself 


132  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


with  desperation*  Dead  and  dying  were  thick  upon  the 
field,  over  which  darkness  was  falling.  Soon  night  put  an 
end  to  the  fighting.  When  day  dawned,  the  armies  lay 
watching  each  other,  neither  daring  to  open  hostilities,  and 
at  nightfall,  Essex  withdrew  his  forces,  leaving  King 
Charles  in  possession  of  the  field. 

It  is  clear  that  had  Rupert  displayed  less  impetuosity 
in  this  first  battle  and  had  he  not  allowed  his  cavalrymen 
to  become  scattered,  after  the  first  charge,  he  might  have 
won  the  conflict  for  the  King.  But  these  were  always  his 
tactics.  Had  he  at  any  time  left  a reserve  behind  him, 
he  might  have  been  able  to  collect  sufficient  force  to  make 
a counter  stroke.  Unfortunately  for  his  reputation  as  a 
cavalryman,  his  impetuosity  was  too  great.  Yet  the 
picturesqueness  of  this  man  would  have  been  far  less  had 
he  had  more  caution 

Charles  moved  to  Oxford,  where  he  established  his 
court,  while  Rupert  scoured  the  neighbouring  country 
and  had  repeated  brushes  with  the  enemy.  Finally  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  take  the  town  of  Brentford,  which  was 
well  protected  by  barricades.  Hampden’s  and  Holies’ 
troops  held  it  and  were  continually  on  the  watch,  so  Ru- 
pert collected  his  men  one  foggy  morning  and  made  a dash 
upon  the  fortifications.  His  soldiers  forced  their  way  across 
the  barricades,  fighting  like  very  devils.  Rupert  was  in 
their  midst,  his  red  cloak  fluttering  in  the  breeze  and  his 
cheeks  flushed  with  excitement.  The  defence  was  stub- 
born, but  nothing  could  stem  this  onslaught.  By  nightfall, 
the  town  was  in  the  hands  of  Prince  Rupert : the  impetuous. 
Five  hundred  prisoners,  eleven  stand  of  colours  and  fifteen 
guns  were  in  his  possession  and  he  would  have  had  more 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


133 


had  not  an  order  from  King  Charles  soon  recalled  him. 
The  troops  retreated  slowly,  while  Rupert,  with  char- 
acteristic bravery,  was  the  last  to  cross  the  bridge  which  led 
from  the  town.  Thus  ended  the  closing  engagement  of 
that  year.  The  first  months  of  conflict  had  been  unsatis- 
factory enough  for  the  royal  cause. 

Not  long  afterwards,  a body  of  troops  commanded  by 
Lord  Essex  passed  through  the  dense  forest  near  Newbury 
in  order  to  make  an  attempt  to  capture  King  Charles.  As 
the  soldiers  rode  carelessly  along  they  laughed  and  joked 
with  one  another.  Their  horses’  hoofs  made  little  sound 
on  the  soft  moss  of  the  forest  and  the  clinking  of  their  ar- 
mour plates  was  musical  to  the  ear.  Little  did  they  suspect 
the  presence  of  an  enemy,  when  suddenly,  and  without 
warning,  red-cloaked  horsemen  dashed  out  upon  them. 
With  a wild  yell,  they  were  beset  on  all  sides  by  Rupert’s 
soldiers.  They  drew  sabres  and  attempted  to  repel  the 
attack,  but  they  were  forced  to  take  flight.  The  King 
escaped  and  Rupert  was  again  the  hero  of  the  hour,  for  by 
his  keenness  and  quickness  of  action  he  had  saved  his 
sovereign’s  head. 

Now,  after  many  sharp  skirmishes,  occurred  the  fight 
at  Marston  Moor : a battle  which  resulted  in  disaster  for 
the  Cavaliers.  Oliver  Cromwell,  leader  of  the  Puritan 
troop,  by  his  own  efforts,  had  much  improved  the  cavalry 
of  the  Roundhead  Army.  Prince  Rupert  had  not  yet 
met  horsemen  whom  his  own  men  could  not  scatter,  and  he 
entered  this  battle  with  most  supreme  confidence  in  his 
own  ability.  The  army  of  the  Parliament  outnumbered 
that  of  the  King  by  fully  a thousand  men.  It  was  drawn 
up  in  a commanding  position  with  the  cavalry  under 


134  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Cromwell  and  Leslie  on  the  left,  and  reserves  of  foot  and 
horse  in  the  rear  under  gallant  Lord  Fairfax.  The  day 
was  a hot  one,  for  it  was  the  2nd  of  July,  and  dense,  black 
clouds  shrouded  the  light  of  the  sun.  Peals  of  thunder 
growled  ominously.  The  air  was  filled  with  shouts  from 
the  eager  Cavaliers  and  hymns  of  praise  from  the  resolute 
Puritans,  before  the  battle  commenced.  Rupert  himself 
was  serenely  confident  in  his  success.  He  pointed  to  the 
enemy’s  line  and  said  to  a prisoner.  “ Is  Cromwell  there? 
and  will  he  fight  ? E’gad  if  he  will,  there  will  be  fighting 
enough  as  my  arm  is  aching  for  a blow  at  him.” 

“ He  is  there  and  will  give  you  all  the  fighting  that  you 
wish,  Sire.” 

“ Then  take  this  message  to  him,”  said  the  Prince, 
turning  to  one  of  his  men.  “ Tell  him  that  I wish  to 
measure  strength  with  him.” 

Oliver  Cromwell  heard  the  message  and  a scowl  gathered 
on  his  countenance. 

“ Go  tell  your  master  that  if  it  pleases  God  we  shall 
fight,”  he  said. 

Rupert  laughed,  as  the  message  was  announced,  and 
putting  himself  at  the  head  of  his  cavalry,  waved  his  sword 
aloft  and  called  upon  his  men  to  follow.  It  was  seven  in 
the  evening,  for  neither  side  had  dared  attack  before  this. 
The  Roundheads  had  made  the  first  movement  and  were 
now  advancing  across  the  moor,  chanting  psalms,  and 
showing  a bold  and  resolute  front.  Rupert’s  men  crashed 
into  a Scotch  battalion  and  hurled  them  back,  panic- 
stricken  and  afraid.  But  the  flight  was  not  to  be  like  that 
at  Edgehill.  The  troops  rallied  behind  the  cavalry  of 
Oliver  Cromwell  which  just  then  came  up,  and  these 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


135 


charged  furiously,  brandishing  their  broadswords  and 
evincing  a courage  quite  equal  to  that  of  the  Cavaliers. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  war,  Rupert  met 
with  a serious  check.  He  had,  as  usual,  left  no  reserve 
behind  to  aid  his  men  should  there  be  a reverse.  Crom- 
well, on  the  other  hand,  had  a regiment  of  Scotch  cavalry 
in  reserve,  and  these  he  hurled  upon  Rupert’s  horsemen. 
The  Cavaliers  were  driven  back  in  disorder.  They  were 
pursued  by  the  leading  troops,  while  Cromwell  gathered 
a greater  portion  of  his  cavalry  and  fell  upon  the  right  wing 
of  the  Royal  army.  He  was  successful  and  his  star  arose 
triumphant  upon  the  blood-stained  field  of  Marston  Moor. 

Rupert,  believing  that  the  victory  was  won,  returned  to 
the  battle-ground  and  reined  in  his  horse  on  the  crest  of  a 
hill.  There  below  him,  he  saw  Cromwell,  blood-stained 
and  without  his  helmet,  cheering  on  his  men  to  renewed 
effort.  They  were  beating  back  the  King’s  troops  and 
driving  them  relentlessly  onward.  The  dead  and  dying 
covered  the  plain,  and  hoarse  shouts  of  victory  sounded 
above  the  crash  of  arms.  He  saw  King  Charles  attempt- 
ing to  rally  his  men  for  a last  charge,  but  an  attendant 
seized  the  bridle-reins  of  his  horse  and  turned  his  head 
away.  Prince  Rupert  spurred  to  his  side  and  rode  with 
him  from  the  field.  Night  was  closing  in  upon  them  and 
the  wreck  of  the  Royal  Army  was  in  a disorderly  confusion. 

Four  thousand  of  the  Cavaliers  had  fallen.  Their  losses 
in  guns,  ammunition,  and  camp  equipment  had  been  very 
great.  Yet  the  defeat  had  not  been  a total  rout,  for  the 
Roundheads  had  lost  so  heavily  that  they  were  unable  to 
follow  up  their  advantage.  As  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
the  winners  of  the  fight  were  in  such  a crippled  condition 


136  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


that  the  advantage  could  not  be  maintained.  In  spite  of 
this,  the  moral  effect  of  the  victory  had  been  great,  and  from 
that  time  onward,  the  cause  of  King  Charles  and  his  Cav- 
aliers was  doomed  to  disaster. 

Prince  Rupert  had  lost  his  favourite  friend  at  the  battle 
of  Marston  Moor.  Poor  “ Boy,”  the  white  hound,  had 
been  ridden  down  by  the  cavalry  and  crushed  beneath  the 
hoofs  of  a horse.  This  devoted  companion  had  followed 
him  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  campaign,  and  was 
constantly  by  his  side.  It  is  said  that  the  gallant  Prince 
felt  his  death  even  more  than  he  did  the  loss  of  the  battle, 
for  with  characteristic  light-heartedness,  he  looked  for 
better  times  in  the  future,  and  did  not  worry  over  the  result 
of  the  bitter  struggle. 

But  better  times  were  not  to  come  for  Rupert  and  the 
King.  There  were  temporary  successes  in  the  West  of 
England,  where  a small  army  under  Essex  was  hemmed  in 
and  captured,  and  at  Leicester,  which  was  besieged ; 
taken;  and  sacked.  In  spite  of  these  triumphs,  on  June 
14th,  1645,  their  forces  met  defeat  on  the  field  of  Naseby. 
The  fight  was  a fierce  one : quite  as  fierce  as  at  Marston 
Moor,  and  the  slaughter  was  even  greater  than  before. 

In  this  affray,  the  army  of  the  King  consisted  of  about 
ten  thousand  men  and  that  of  the  Roundheads  was  a bit 
larger.  It  is  estimated  that  fully  fourteen  thousand  troops 
were  opposed  to  Charles  and  Prince  Rupert.  The  infan- 
try on  each  side  was  in  the  centre.  Cromwell  with  his 
cavalry  was  on  the  right-wing  of  the  Roundhead  Army, 
and  Ireton,  with  his  horse,  on  the  left.  Sir  Marmaduke 
Langsdale’s  position  was  to  the  left  of  the  King’s  forces; 
with  Rupert  on  the  right.  Thus  the  Prince  was  not  opposed 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


137 


to  Cromwell,  as  at  Marston  Moor,  and  it  was  well  for  him 
that  he  was  not ; for  Cromwell  was  more  than  a match 
for  this  impetuous  horseman. 

The  battle  began  with  an  attack  by  the  Royal  Army,  for 
the  King  believed  that  the  enemy  was  in  full  retreat.  The 
Roundheads  waited  until  their  opponents  -had  descended 
from  the  hills  on  which  they  stood  and  then  shouted,  “ God 
is  our  strength,”  as  they  advanced  to  the  fray.  Rupert’s 
cavalry,  with  the  battle-cry  of  “ Queen  Mary,”  also  rushed 
to  the  charge.  Ireton’s  horse  gave  way  before  them  like 
chaff  before  the  wind.  The  General  himself  received  a 
severe  wound  and  became  a prisoner,  only  to  escape  after- 
wards in  the  melee.  Rupert  was  in  the  centre  of  the  fray, 
urging  his  men  to  renewed  feats  of  valour,  and  brandishing 
his  gleaming  sword  aloft  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight,  for  he 
loved  a good  fight.  Ireton’s  division  was  cut  to  pieces  and 
the  Cavaliers  dashed  upon  the  reserves  in  the  rear  of  the 
army  and  captured  a number  of  cannon. 

Of  course  the  gallant  Prince  hoped  that  all  had  gone  as 
well  in  other  portions  of  the  field  as  with  him.  But  such 
was  not  the  case.  The  infantry  of  the  King  had  to  march 
up  a steep  incline  in  order  to  close  with  the  enemy,  and  they 
were  subjected  to  a murderous  fire  as  they  approached. 
Their  ranks  were  shaken  in  the  assault.  Seeing  them 
waver,  Oliver  Cromwell  ordered  an  advance  and  swept 
down  upon  them  with  overwhelming  strength. 

King  Charles  saw,  with  dismay,  that  he  was  defeated. 
In  the  moment  of  despair,  he  seemed  eager  to  meet  a 
warrior’s  end  and  pushed  forward  into  the  fight.  But  the 
Earl  of  Chatworth  seized  his  bridle  rein  and  stopped  him . 
“ Will  you  go  to  your  death,  Sire?  ” he  asked.  “ Yea,” 


138  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


replied  the  King,  “ It  is  well  that  I were  dead  on  the  field.” 
But  in  spite  of  this  heroic  remark  he  weakly  allowed  him- 
self to  be  led  away  from  his  struggling  men,  who  likewise 
began  to  fall  back  from  the  enemy.  The  majority  gave 
up  all  for  lost.  They  retreated  sullenly,  fighting  every  inch 
of  the  way,  and  giving  Cromwell’s  troopers  rough  usage 
in  their  victorious  advance.  Rupert  came  back  from  his 
own  gallant  charge,  re-formed  his  men,  and  attempted  to 
stem  the  flood.  Bui  Cromwell  now  charged  home  with 
both  cavalry  and  infantry.  So  fierce  was  he  that  the  Roy- 
alist troopers  fled  before  the  onslaught.  The  Roundhead 
leader  pushed  after  the  retreating  foe  and  for  twelve  miles 
kept  touch  with  the  fugitives.  Five  thousand  of  the  King’s 
men  were  either  killed  or  captured  while  the  dead  extended 
over  a distance  of  four  miles.  All  the  King’s  artillery  was 
taken,  while  nine  thousand  stand  of  arms,  one  hundred 
stands  of  colours,  and  two  hundred  gun  carriages,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Roundheads. 

Rupert  joined  the  King  as  they  left  the  field,  and  halted 
with  him  on  a hill.  Looking  back,  they  saw  the  valley 
filled  with  a raging  torrent  of  men  and  horses,  while  the 
banner  of  the  Roundheads  flaunted  victoriously  in  their 
faces.  From  that  awful  sight,  the  two  sad  Royalists 
turned  away  and  rode  dejectedly  into  the  gloom.  The 
decisive  blow  of  the  war  had  fallen. 

There  was  some  fighting  after  this  in  spite  of  such  a 
terrible  defeat.  Rupert  was  soon  in  command  of  a con- 
siderable force  at  the  town  of  Bristol,  with  orders  to  defend 
it  against  all  hazards.  He  was  besieged  by  Lord  Fairfax 
with  a goodly  number  of  Roundheads  whose  hearts  were 
burning  with  zeal  for  their  own  cause.  Fairfax  intended 


PRINCE  RUPER1-  AX  THE  ASSAULT  OF  BRISTOL 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


139 


to  starve  out  the  gallant  Prince,  but  Cromwell  wrote  him  a 
stirring  letter  counselling  an  assault.  The  place  was  gal- 
lantly defended : as  gallantly  as  one  might  expect  from  a 
man  of  Rupert’s  courage  and  heroism.  But  nothing  could 
withstand  the  fiery  zeal  of  the  invaders.  They  effected  an 
entrance  at  the  very  gate  itself  and  secured  a footing  on 
the  inner  battlement.  Scaling  ladders  were  rushed  into 
use  and  the  doughty  Cromwellians  were  seen  by  the 
defenders  to  have  them  at  their  mercy. 

So  a council  of  war  was  held  by  those  inside  and  it  was 
decided  that,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  no  assistance  would 
reach  them  from  the  King,  it  was  well  to  capitulate.  Fur- 
ther resistance  could  of  course  have  been  made,  but  it 
would  have  been  with  great  loss  of  life. 

The  council  of  war  was  composed  of  several  men  besides 
Prince  Rupert,  yet  when  King  Charles  heard  of  this  affair 
he  was  furious  with  rage.  He  first  threatened  to  have  his 
nephew  brought  to  a court-martial  and  even  put  a friend 
of  his  in  jail  because  he  was  Rupert’s  personal  admirer. 
He  wrote  a severe  letter  to  his  great  leader  of  cavalry, 
ordered  him  to  leave  the  country,  and  revoked  all  the 
Commissions  which  he  had  received  from  him.  His  rage 
seemed  to  be  insatiable. 

It  was  only  very  natural  that  Rupert  should  now  en- 
deavour to  become  reconciled  to  his  uncle.  He  was  de- 
voted to  him ; had  risked  his  life  in  a hundred  engagements 
for  him ; and  had  always  been  his  loyal  and  enthusiastic 
follower.  He  was  determined  to  find  his  royal  master  and 
to  settle  the  matter  by  a personal  interview,  for  he  alone 
had  not  surrendered  Bristol  and  he  felt  that  he  should  not 
be  held  responsible  for  the  disaster.  His  decision  to  sur- 


140  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


render  had  been  forced  by  the  other  general  who  had  been 
cooped  up  with  him  in  the  town.  So,  with  a body  of  eighty 
followers,  he  rode  at  Banaburg ; was  there  joined  by  Prince 
Maurice;  and  then  pressed  on  through  the  heart  of  the 
enemy  to  Newark  where  the  King  was  residing.  The  two 
Princes  were  attacked  by  several  bands  of  cavalry  on  the 
way,  but  they  defeated  these  and  arrived  in  safety  at  the 
court.  Here  they  were  received  with  cold  indifference  and 
were  treated  with  such  aversion  that  Rupert  demanded  a 
court-martial  in  order  that  he  might  exonerate  himself 
from  blame.  A hearing  was  granted  him,  and,  after  a 
short  trial,  he  was  entirely  freed  from  all  guilt  or  act  of 
infidelity  to  his  liege  and  master. 

In  spite  of  this,  the  King  refused  to  become  reconciled 
to  the  courageous  cavalryman,  and  treated  him  with  the 
greatest  coldness  and  disdain.  At  length  they  became 
reconciled,  but  it  was  now  too  late  for  him  to  be  of  any 
further  service  to  his  vacillating  uncle.  With  his  army 
defeated  and  humiliated,  the  King  was  forced  to  flee  to  the 
Scots  for  protection ; an  act  which  ended  the  war.  Ru- 
pert’s cavalry  was  disbanded  and  the  work  of  a great  cav- 
alry leader  had  ended. 

With  the  close  of  these  hostilities  ends  the  career  of  the 
impetuous  Prince  Rupert,  as  a leader  of  cavalry.  Forced 
to  flee  the  country,  he  was  not  destined  to  again  charge  at 
the  head  of  a troop  of  red-cloaked  horsemen,  for  King 
Charles  was  soon  beheaded.  His  death  ended  the  bloody 
conflict  which  had  waged  between  the  rival  political  fac- 
tions. The  people  had  triumphed  and  for  a time  no  King 
sat  upon  the  throne  of  England.  Instead  of  this  form  of 
rule,  a Protectorate,  with  Oliver  Cromwell  at  its  head. 


PRINCE  RUPERT 


141 


governed  with  an  austere  severity.  The  Cavaliers  escaped 
from  the  country : some  to  Scotland,  some  to  Europe,  and 
some  to  America.  Rupert  himself  sailed  for  France,  where 
he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  Louis  XIV,  who  entrusted 
him  with  the  command  of  all  the  fugitive  Cavaliers  who 
had  found  a refuge  there. 

Yet  a man  of  such  vitality  and  courage  could  not  long 
remain  inactive.  Soon  he  was  again  participating  in 
English  warfare,  but  not  in  that  upon  land.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  us  at  this  time  of  special  training,  Rupert’s 
subsequent  career  was  as  commander  of  war-ships  and  not 
of  cavalry,  for  when  King  Charles  was  in  hiding  upon  the 
Isle  of  Wight ; the  dashing  Prince  was  placed  in  command 
of  three,  large  men-of-war.  Admiral  Blake  was  in  charge 
of  the  vessels  of  the  Roundhead  party  and  so  outnumbered 
Rupert’s  small  fleet  that  he  had  to  put  to  sea  in  order  to 
avoid  capture.  Pursued  by  the  intrepid  Blake,  he  made 
off  for  the  coast  of  Spain,  only  to  suffer  the  misfortune  of 
having  the  vessels  scattered  by  a tornado.  His  own  ship 
escaped  and  was  steered  to  the  West  Indies,  where  for  a 
time  he  engaged  in  successful  buccaneering.  Eventually 
he  returned  to  France;  rich  in  prize  money  and  nautical 
experience,  and  there  lived  a somewhat  retired  life,  occupy- 
ing himself  with  chemical  experiments  in  a small  labora- 
tory of  his  own.  Although  attempting  to  discover  the 
Philosopher’s  Stone,  he  was  not  to  gain  fame  by  the  solu- 
tion of  this  problem,  which  then  occupied  the  minds  of 
most  European  scholars.  Instead  of  this  he  created  some 
notoriety  by  the  invention  of  a new  kind  of  gunpowder ; 
a hydraulic  engine;  and  an  improvement  on  the  naval 
quadrant.  A man  of  such  a keen  and  capable  mind  has 


142  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


seldom  been  eminent  as  a leader  of  light  horse.  He  was 
endowed  with  talents  most  unusual  and  extraordinary. 

The  English  people  called  the  son  of  the  beheaded 
Charles  I to  the  throne,  after  the  death  of  Oliver  Cromwell, 
and  hailed  him  with  transports  of  joy.  Rupert  now  re- 
turned to  England,  where  he  was  immediately  shown  the 
honour  and  respect  due  to  such  a loyal  subject  of  the  first 
King.  He  was  appointed  King’s  Private  Councillor  and 
Governor  of  Windsor  Castle ; was  given  command  of  one- 
half  of  the  English  fleet  in  the  war  between  his  adopted 
land  and  Holland  in  1672;  and  conducted  himself  as  ably 
on  the  quarter-deck  as  he  had  when  at  the  head  of  a flying 
squadron  of  dragoons.  In  1672  he  defeated  the  Dutch 
Admiral  Van  Tromp,  who  commanded  the  “ Royal 
Charles”  and  returned  to  an  existence  of  quiet  ease  and 
study  at  Windsor  Castle,  after  the  close  of  the  war  with 
Holland.  The  remaining  days  of  his  fife  were  spent  at  the 
Old  Tower  of  Windsor,  surrounded  by  chemicals,  strange 
implements,  and  books.  His  death  took  place  on  the  29th 
of  November,  1682,  when  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  life, 
and  he  was  buried  with  much  pomp  and  ceremony  in 
Henry  VII’s  Chapel  in  Westminster  Abbey.  In  a letter 
preserved  to  our  own  time,  there  is  a great  tribute  paid  to 
his  character  and  attainments  in  his  later  years.  “ In 
respect  to  his  private  life,”  it  reads,  “ he  was  so  just,  so 
beneficent,  so  courteous,  that  his  memory  remained  dear 
to  all  who  knew  him.  This  I say  of  my  own  knowledge, 
having  often  heard  old  people  in  Berkshire  speak  in  rap- 
tures of  Prince  Rupert.  He  was  a Prince  among  Princes, 
a noble  man  among  noble  men.  Such  another  ■will  Eng- 
land not  behold  for  many  a day.” 


GENERAL  ZIETHEN 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN : THE  PRUSSIAN 
WAR  HORSE 

[1699  — 1786] 

A GERMAN  Inn  Keeper  stood  bowing  and  scraping 
before  the  doorway  of  his  little  hostelry,  where  a 
trim-looking,  Prussian  Officer  was  dismounting 
from  his  charger, 

“ Give  me  a bed,”  said  the  soldier.  “ I have  ridden  far 
already,  and  I am  so  weary  that  I do  not  wish  to  sup,  before 
retiring.” 

The  Inn  Keeper  bowed  still  lower. 

“ That  you  can  have,  at  once,  Herr  General,”  he  an- 
swered. “ Come  right  away  with  me  and  I will  show  you 
to  the  softest  of  couches  in  all  Prussia.” 

And  soon  he  had  led  the  weary  officer  to  a small  chamber 
upon  the  second  floor. 

“ Thanks,”  grunted  the  soldier,  and  without  more  ado, 
he  lay  down  upon  the  bed  with  all  his  clothes  on.  “ Good 
night,  Mr.  Landlord,  please  shut  the  door,”  he  said,  as 
the  surprised  Inn  Keeper  withdrew. 

The  tired  Prussian  closed  his  eyes  and  began  to  doze 
when  suddenly  he  felt  something  moving  near  his  feet. 
This  something  began  to  wrap  itself  around  them  — so  it 
seemed  — but  it  did  not  disturb  the  stolid  man  of  war. 

“ What  do  I care  if  snakes  are  in  the  room,”  he  muttered 

143 


144  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


drowsily.  “ I will  draw  up  my  feet  and  sleep,”  and  in  a 
few  moments  he  was  lost  in  such  sound  slumber  that  the 
light  of  another  day  was  streaming  into  his  face  -when  he 
awoke.  He  had  soon  splashed  some  cold  water  into  his 
eyes  and  was  down  stairs,  where  he  found  the  Landlord 
busily  preparing  the  breakfast  for  the  house.  As  he  saw 
the  rotund  Inn- Keeper,  he  suddenly  remembered  the 
incident  of  the  night  before. 

“ Mr.  Landlord,”  he  thundered,  “ What  do  you  mean 
by  having  serpents  in  your  bed-room  ? ” 

The  good  fellow  looked  aghast. 

“Serpents?  Serpents?  Herr  General  ? ” he  asked. 

“ Yes,  serpents,  you  rascal.  When  I fell  asleep  last  night 
I felt  one  coil  himself  around  my  leg.” 

The  Landlord’s  face  was  ghastly  pale. 

“ Come,  let  us  look  to  find  these  serpents,”  he  said  as  he 
rushed  up-stairs. 

Soon  he  was  in  the  room  in  which  the  soldier  had  slept. 
The  General  could  hear  his  heavy  foot-steps  from  below, 
as  he  walked  about,  and,  suddenly  he  was  startled  by  a 
loud  cry. 

“ I have  found  it.  Those  serpents ! ” the  Landlord 
called. 

In  a moment  more,  he  was  standing  before  the  old, 
Prussian  General,  with  a small,  furry  something  in  his 
hand. 

“ Here,  General,  are  these  serpents ! ” he  said,  and 
opening  his  fingers,  he  disclosed  the  body  of  a tiny  squirrel. 

No  wTonder  that  the  fiery  General  was  so  abashed  that 
he  left  as  soon  as  possible ; and  no  wonder  that  some  of 
his  hussars  christened  General  Ziethen  (The  Prussian 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


145 


War  Horse)  “ Old  Serpents ! ” for  it  was  Frederick  the 
Great’s  most  able  cavalryman  to  whom  this  strange  ad- 
venture had  occurred. 

Frederick  the  Great  loved  this  General  as  he  would  a 
brother,  for  they  fought  together  in  many  an  arduous 
campaign,  when  Prussia  was  attacked  on  all  sides  by  her 
enemies,  and  when  the  fortunes  of  this  monarch  were 
often  trembling  in  the  balance.  King  Frederick  was  one 
of  the  men  who  make  epochs  in  the  history  of  war  and 
nations;  his  life  was  one  great  struggle  with  his  neigh- 
bours ; and  Ziethen  — his  beloved  cavalryman  — was  in 
as  many  desperate  battles  as  has  ever  been  the  lot  of  any 
man.  He  was  wounded,  cut  and  sabred  a number  of 
times,  but  seemed  to  thrive  on  rough  treatment,  and  lived 
to  the  ripe,  old  age  of  eighty-six. 

Ziethen’s  father  was  a Prussian  country  gentlemen  in 
very  needy  circumstances;  so  needy,  in  fact,  that  his 
little  son  had  no  schooling,  at  all,  until  he  was  thirteen 
years  of  age.  Then  his  parents  procured  a young  tutor 
to  instruct  him  in  the  rudiments  of  history,  of  mathe- 
matics, and  of  the  languages,  but  he  was  a man  whom  the 
boy  did  not  respect  because  of  his  intemperate  habits. 
They  got  along  together  without  any  serious  breach  until 
a certain  day  when  the  tutor  demanded  that  young  Ziethen 
should  run  upon  an  errand  for  him.  This  irritated  the 
youthful  cavalryman  tremendously. 

“ Run  on  an  errand  for  you?  ” he  said.  “ Why,  you 
are  employed  by  my  parents  to  teach  me,  and,  only  for 
that.” 

But  this  retort  enraged  the  tutor  beyond  measure, 
and,  seizing  a stout  switch,  he  was  prepared  to  chastise  his 


146  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


young  charge,  when  the  father  of  the  boy  suddenly  entered 
the  room. 

“ Why  — what  does  this  mean?  ” he  asked,  in  alarm, 
as  he  looked  at  the  scene  before  him. 

His  son  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 

“ Father,”  he  said,  “ the  man  whom  you  engaged  for 
my  tutor  is  not  only  an  intemperate  fellow,  but  he  de- 
mands that  I should  go  upon  errands  for  him,  and  this  I 
will  not  stand.” 

“ Quite  right,  my  son,  quite  right,”  old  Ziethen  an- 
swered. “ I have  only  to-day  learned  of  your  tutor’s 
lapses  in  morals.”  Then  turning  to  the  irate  school- 
master, he  said  : 

“ You  are  dismissed,  henceforth.  My  son  shall  never 
do  the  bidding  of  such  a man  as  you.” 

And  the  discomforted  man-of-learning  wfithdrewq  while 
young  Ziethen  received  the  warm  embraces  of  a parent, 
who  had  the  same  spirit  of  fairness  and  the  same  moral 
uprightness  as  he,  himself,  possessed. 

In  spite  of  this  courageous  spirit,  the  youthful  Ziethen 
was  of  small  stature  and  unhealthy  look,  so  that,  when  he 
applied  for  the  position  of  standard  bearer  in  a force  of 
cavalry,  he  was  the  joke  of  the  whole  regiment,  and  every 
one  ridiculed  his  personal  appearance.  But  he  received 
the  appointment  and  took  up  his  labours  as  a soldier, 
with  ambitious  courage. 

As  his  first  duty  was  to  present  himself  to  his  command- 
ing officer,  he  donned  his  new  uniform  and  w^ent  to  see 
him  at  his  residence.  Ushered  in  by  a servant,  he  soon 
stood  before  the  door  of  his  superior  in  command  : General 
dc  Schwendy,  who  looked  up  from  a book  which  he  was 
reading,  and  said, 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


147 


“ Pray  what  do  you  want,  my  man  ? Speak ! And 
speak  loud ! ” 

Young  Ziethen  was  too  abashed  to  reply  immediately, 
and  finally  sputtered, 

“ I have  come  to  pay  my  respects  to  you.” 

“ Well,  pay  them  then,  and  right  quick,  too,”  roared  the 
General,  which  so  disconcerted  the  young  soldier  that  he 
withdrew  immediately,  so  humiliated,  that  he  was  never 
able  to  forget  this  scene,  and  even  in  his  old  age  could  not 
speak  of  it  without  the  keenest  indignation.  “ Such 
rudeness,”  he  often  said,  “ it  has  never  been  my  bad 
fortune  to  again  be  subjected  to.”  Shortly  after  this 
episode  he  resigned  from  the  army. 

But  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  had  been  ridiculed, 
abased,  and  snubbed  when  a young  soldier,  he  soon  grew 
tired  of  the  life  upon  his  father’s  farm  — to  which  he  had 
retired  — - and  determined  to  again  enter  the  service,  if  it 
were  possible.  With  this  idea  in  view  he  would  go  almost 
daily  to  Berlin  in  his  uniform  and  linger  near  the  Palace, 
where  the  reigning  monarch,  Frederick  William  I,  resided. 
One  day  the  King  observed  him. 

“ Why,  my  man,  how  is  it  that  you  are  here  in  uniform 
and  not  with  your  regiment?  ” he  asked. 

“ It  is  because  I have  resigned  from  the  army.” 

“ Resigned  ? ” said  the  King.  “ Then  your  uniform 
should  be  in  your  clothes-press.  Good  day,  sir.” 

Stung  by  this  added  insult,  Ziethen  was  now  over- 
anxious to  again  procure  a commission,  and,  with  this 
object  in  mind,  determined  to  once  more  accost  the 
worthy  monarch  who  had  so  upbraided  him.  As  luck 
would  have  it,  he  one  day  met  him  upon  the  parade 
ground  in  Berlin. 


148  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ Your  Majesty,”  he  said,  “ I have  not  placed  my 
uniform  in  a clothes-press,  because  I hoped  to  soon  be 
called  upon  to  defend  my  country  under  your  command.” 

“ Hah  ! ” answered  the  King,  smiling.  “You  wish  to 
light,  do  you.  Well,  I’ll  give  you  plenty  of  it.”  And  turn- 
ing to  one  of  his  aids  he  bade  him  take  down  the  name  of 
this  martial-spirited  citizen.  In  a week  Ziethen  was  again 
in  the  army  as  a fourth  Lieutenant  in  Wuthenlow’s  dra- 
goons. 

This  time  his  career  was  far  more  favourable  than  before, 
and  he  soon  had  won  the  admiration  of  his  superior 
officers,  by  his  strict  attention  to  duty  and  his  zeal  and 
interest  in  military  affairs.  After  fighting  several  duels 
with  brother  officers,  as  is  customary  in  the  Prussian 
service,  and  suffering  several  fines  and  imprisonments,  he 
was  advanced  to  the  command  of  a company  of  hussars, 
“ on  condition  that  he  should  behave  himself  in  an  orderly 
manner,  and  that  his  superior  officer  would  keep  a 
watchful  eye  over  him.”  So  excellent  was  his  conduct  that 
he  was  soon  made  Captain  of  a regiment  and  was  marched 
to  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  to  engage  in  the  campaign 
against  France,  a country  that  had  violated  a treaty  with 
Austria  and  Prussia,  by  taking  possession  of  the  fortress 
of  Kehl.  After  assisting  in  several  skirmishes  and  attacks, 
Ziethen  begged  to  be  allowed  to  make  a trial  of  the  strength 
and  courage  of  his  little  command,  against  the  enemy. 
He  was  directed,  by  his  commanding  officer,  to  pass  through 
a small  valley  between  two,  high  hills;  to  flank  the  French 
troops;  alarm  their  quarters;  and  to  retreat  before  they 
could  collect  their  forces  for  a counter  attack. 

When  the  word  was  given  to  advance,  the  hussars  — 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


149 


accompanied  by  some  Austrian  troops  — - broke  into  the 
French  camp,  without  being  perceived ; threw  the  enemy 
into  wild  disorder;  and  made  several  prisoners.  In  the 
meanwhile  the  adjacent  posts  of  French  infantry  took  the 
alarm ; united ; and  marched  against  the  attacking  party. 
Seeing  that  this  was  the  proper  time  to  retreat ; the  Aus- 
trians — who  had  come  up  with  Ziethen’s  men  — fell 
back  in  good  order.  But  the  hussars  kept  their  ground 
with  an  obstinacy  which  nearly  proved  fatal  to  them. 
They  soon  were  surrounded  by  the  enemy. 

“ Courage,  soldiers  ! ” shouted  Ziethen.  “ We  must 
now  cut  our  way  out  with  the  cold  steel.  To  the  defile  in 
our  rear,  and  retreat  through  the  hills  as  we  came.” 

The  soldiers  greeted  this  counsel  with  a cheer;  turned 
their  horses  about ; and  rushed  into  the  French  ranks  with 
so  much  impetuosity,  that  they  cut  their  way  clear  and 
were  soon  hurrying  through  the  pass  in  the  high  ground. 
So  favourably  did  the  King  view  this  charge  that  Ziethen 
was  immediately  advanced  to  the  rank  of  Major,  “ in 
consideration  of  his  good  qualities,  the  military  experience 
that  he  had  acquired,  and  the  vigilance  and  courage  which 
he  had  manifested.” 

This  campaign  procured  both  glory,  experience  and 
advancement  for  Ziedien,  who  apparently  had  gained  the 
confidence  of  the  King  to  an  extraordinary  degree,  as  he 
was  sent  to  Vienna  on  secret  business,  and  was  treated  with 
much  distinction  at  court.  The  King  died  in  1740,  and 
upon  the  accession  of  his  son,  Frederick  the  Second  (or 
the  Great)  the  Major  of  hussars  began  to  fear  that  his 
splendid  prospects  for  advancement  would  vanish.  But 
Frederick  had  soon  good  need  of  him,  for  a general  war 


150  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


was  inevitable.  Several  European  powers  made  preten- 
sions to  a portion  of  what  he  considered  to  be  his  own 
territory,  and  so,  in  a few  months,  Ziethen  and  his  hussars 
were  in  the  midst  of  a busy  campaign,  which  ended  most 
successfully  for  the  Prussian  Monarch. 

At  the  beginning  of  June,  of  the  following  year,  when 
de  Wurm,  the  Colonel  of  Hussars,  was  ordered  to  observe 
the  position  of  the  enemy,  and,  on  his  way,  to  spy  upon 
them,  he  met  a patrol  of  some  hundred  light-horse,  whom 
he  attacked  and  dispersed.  He  pursued  them  to  the 
entrance  of  a small  valley,  and,  seeing  that  they  halted 
and  faced  about,  he  likewise  halted  and  did  not  press  for- 
ward. The  Austrian  flankers  began  to  harass  him  con- 
siderably, and,  at  this,  Ziethen  became  quite  angry.  So 
enraged  did  he  become,  that  he  could  no  longer  contain 
himself,  and  cried  out : “ Colonel  de  Wurm,  will  you  not 
put  these  audacious  fellows  to  flight  ? ” 

His  superior  officer  looked  coldly  at  him. 

“ Why  don’t  you  do  it  yourself,  since  you  are  so  bold  ? ” 
he  replied.  “ Are  you  not  at  the  head  of  your  squadron  ? ” 
“ I’ll  do  it  right  willingly,”  said  Ziethen,  “ If  you 
promise  to  support  me.” 

“ I promise,”  de  Wurm  answered. 

So  giving  the  word  to  march,  Ziethen  fell  upon  the  enemy 
with  his  squadron  and  pursued  them  far  beyond  the 
valley;  fully  persuaded  that  de  Wurm  had  remained 
where  he  had  left  him,  as  he  had  promised.  At  length, 
having  taken  several  prisoners,  and  convinced  that  a 
strong  force  was  surrounding  him,  he  began  to  think  of 
making  a retreat ; sure  that  he  would  have  de  Wurm’s 
aid  to  fall  back  upon.  But  alas  ! that  officer  had  retired 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


151 


to  a neighbouring  village,  completely  ignoring  Ziethen 
and  his  squadron. 

When  Ziethen  had  retreated  to  the  valley’s  mouth  and 
discovered  that  no  reinfor  ements  were  there,  his  heart 
sank.  But  he  determined  to  put  on  a bold  front,  and, 
calling  back  his  flankers,  closed  up  his  ranks.  While  a 
part  of  his  troops  passed  through  the  valley,  he  furiously 
charged  the  enemy  at  the  head  of  his  men ; thus  gaining 
sufficient  time  and  ground  to  make  good  the  retreat.  Not 
a single  man  was  lost,  and  not  a prisoner  escaped  during 
this  bold  manoeuvre. 

Colonel  de  Wurm  was  standing  upon  a sidewalk  of  the 
street,  in  the  village  to  which  he  had  withdrawn ; when 
Ziethen  arrived  with  his  prisoners  and  squadron.  Upon 
seeing  the  Prussian  Colonel,  the  hot  blood  rushed  to 
Ziethen’s  head. 

“ You  deserted  me,  you  coward,”  he  called,  “ and  in  the 
very  moment  when  I most  needed  you.” 

De  Wurm  made  no  reply.  He  was  exasperated  and 
ashamed  at  seeing  his  subordinate’s  successful  escape  from 
danger. 

“ Coward,  again  I say,  sir,”  shouted  Ziethen,  and,  as 
he  spoke,  de  Wurm  drew  his  sword  and  rushed  upon  him. 
Ziethen  also  drew  and  dealt  such  a heavy  blow  that  he 
broke  down  the  Colonel’s  guard  and  wounded  him 
severely.  An  aid-de-camp  now  interfered  and  separated 
the  two  angry  soldiers,  who  stood  glowering  at  each  other 
like  two  wolves  at  bay.  In  a short  while  they  were  per- 
suaded to  go  to  their  own  quarters. 

Colonel  de  Wurm  was  confined  to  his  tent,  more  through 
anger  and  shame  than  through  his  wound,  when  the  parole 


152  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


of  the  day  was  to  be  delivered  to  King  Frederick;  so 
Ziethen,  who  was  next  in  command,  appeared  in  his  place. 
He  was  all  prepared  to  make  a report  of  the  late  expedition, 
when  the  King  perceived  that  the  Colonel  was  absent,  and 
cried  out, 

“ Hah,  my  good  Ziethen,  where  is  Colonel  de  Wurm  ? ” 

“ He  is  indisposed,  sire,”  replied  his  cavalryman,  “ due 
to  the  sting  from  a maddened  hornet.” 

The  King  seemed  to  regard  this  answer  as  satisfactory. 
“ Make  your  report,  then,”  he  said,  and  after  he  had  heard 
it,  he  rode  away,  well-pleased,  and  little  suspecting  the 
trouble  between  his  two  gallant  cavalrymen. 

Shortly  afterwards  Ziethen  was  raised  to  the  position  of 
Major,  and  then  to  that  of  Colonel  — a most  extraordinarily 
rapid  advancement  in  the  Prussian  army — and,  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  a regiment  was  created  in  his  favour.  But 
he  well  deserved  this  honour,  and  soon  afterwards,  showed 
that  he  was  quite  worthy  of  such  royal  favour. 

Frederick  the  Great  had  seen  that  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  increase  the  numbers  of  his  light  troops,  and  so  had 
commissioned  a certain  Colonel  to  form  a corps  of  Uhlans 
in  Prussia  and  to  march  them  into  Silesia,  where  he  was  at 
war  with  the  Austrians.  When  the  newly-created  corps 
arrived  at  camp  — although  they  were  young  men  and 
inexperienced  in  warfare  — the  whole  army  was  struck 
with  the  jaunty  appearance  of  the  recruits  and  the  beauty 
of  their  horses.  The  King,  himself,  praised  their  brave 
showing  and  said  that  he  expected  more  from  them  than 
from  the  hussars,  themselves;  adding  that  he  would  soon 
give  them  an  opportunity  to  show  what  they  could  do. 
Consequently  he  dispatched  them  upon  an  expedition  to 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


153 


attack  the  enemy,  taking,  at  the  same  time,  the  precaution 
to  direct  Colonel  Ziethen  to  lie  in  an  ambuscade  near  the 
place  of  battle,  and  to  render  no  aid  to  them,  if  all  went 
well,  but,  in  case  of  a repulse,  to  rush  to  their  support  with 
his  hussars.  The  outcome  of  the  affair  showed  that  he 
wisely  planned  the  manoeuvre. 

When  the  Uhlans  — armed  with  long  pikes,  or  spears  — 
rushed  upon  the  enemy;  the  Austrians  immediately  saw 
that  they  were  young  men  with  whom  they  had  to  contend. 
So,  with  derisive  jeers,  they  closed  in  upon  them, 
soon  threw  them  into  confusion,  and  began  to  hem  them 
in  on  all  sides.  The  youthful  Uhlans  turned  to  fly,  and,  as 
they  did  so,  their  pikes  often  caught  in  the  ground,  unseat- 
ing the  riders,  and  causing  the  horses  to  stumble  and  fall. 
Soon,  everything  was  in  terrible  confusion,  and  the  young 
recruits  would  have  all  been  taken  prisoners,  had  not 
Ziethen  perceived  the  condition  of  affairs,  from  his  hiding 
place,  and  ordered  his  hussars  to  gallop  to  the  attack. 
With  a loud  cheer,  his  cavalrymen  swept  down  upon  the 
Austrians,  bore  them  aside  in  their  furious  onslaught,  and 
threw  them  into  so  much  confusion,  that  they  turned  and 
fled.  Then  Ziethen  rode  back  to  his  own  camp,  presenting 
to  the  King  the  regiment  which  he  had  just  saved,  and 
which,  without  his  unexpected  aid,  would  have  been  totally 
annihilated.  The  loss  which  these  Uhlans,  or  pikemen, 
had  sustained,  and  the  ill  success  which  had  attended 
their  first  charge,  induced  King  Frederick  to  transform 
them  into  hussars,  armed  with  pistols  and  sabres,  and  with 
this  equipment,  they  soon  wiped  out  the  disgrace  of  their 
first  encounter. 

Frederick  was  a monarch  who  possessed  the  art  of  re- 


154  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


warding  and  encouraging  the  soldiers,  and  this  secret 
alone,  irrespective  of  his  other  accomplishments,  was 
sufficient  to  gain  and  secure  the  affection  of  his  army. 
Perceiving  that  Ziethen  was  a poor  man  and  of  such  high 
character,  that  he  would  not  plunder  the  needy  and  weak, 
he  repeatedly  hinted  to  him  that  he  had  it  in  his  power  to 
make  his  own  fortune.  But  the  young  officer  would  not 
employ  the  arms  he  bore  for  his  self-interest  until  ordered 
to  do  so  by  his  sovereign,  when  starting  upon  the  second 
Silesian  campaign. 

“ My  dear  Colonel  Ziethen,”  ran  the  letter  which  he 
received.  “ My  intention  is  that  during  your  cantonment 
on  the  frontier  of  Hungary,  you  levy,,by  way  of  contribu- 
tion, one  thousand  and  six  dollars  for  yourself,  and  three 
hundred  for  each  Captain ; which  sums  are  destined  to  the 
purpose  of  defraying  expenses  for  your  winter  quarters. 
You  will,  however,  only  make  your  levies  upon  such  places 
as  lie  immediately  along  the  frontier. 

“ Frederick. 

“ Solent  2,  March  30th,  1742.” 

In  spite  of  this  epistle  from  his  sovereign,  Ziethen  left 
the  country  without  robbing  a single  village,  and  sacrificed 
the  improvement  of  his  fortune  for  the  high  opinion  and 
respect  of  the  inhabitants.  He  was  beloved  by  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  respected  both  by  rich  and 
poor;  and  so  zealously  did  he  employ  his  time  in  the 
perfection  of  his  regiment,  that,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
second  Silesian  war  in  which  King  Frederick  was  soon 
engaged,  his  hussars  were  acknowledged  to  be  the  best 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


155 


drilled  and  most  splendidly  equipped  of  all  the  King ’s 
soldiers. 

While  the  Prussian  army  was  marching  against  Prague, 
a surprise  was  attempted  by  the  Austrians  and  Saxons, 
as  King  Frederick’s  troops  were  approaching  a bridge. 
Placing  a number  of  cannon  upon  the  opposite  bank  from 
that  upon  which  the  Prussian  army  stood,  the  Saxon 
cannoneers  threw  such  quantities  of  shells  into  the  ad- 
vancing host,  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  Prussians  must  be 
defeated.  But  — at  this  moment  — brave  Ziethen  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  two  squadrons  of  his  hussars,  and 
charged  across  the  bridge  with  so  much  vigour,  that  the 
hostile  gunners  were  forced  to  seek  safety  in  flight.  Ziethen 
had  his  horse  shot  under  him ; when  a subaltern  — - per- 
ceiving his  discomfort  — presented  his  own  mount  to  him, 
saying,  “ Take  this,  General,  you  are  of  far  more  use  when 
mounted  than  when  dismounted,  and  I am  of  no  value  at 
all,  in  comparison  with  you.”  But  to  this  the  brave 
Prussian  replied, 

“ Keep  your  horse,  comrade ; you  are  an  Austrian 
deserter.  I well  recognize  you,  and  if  you  are  taken  you 
will  be  hanged.  Make  haste  to  remount  and  do  not  think 
of  my  interests,  but  of  your  own.” 

As  a matter  of  fact,  such  the  fellow  turned  out  to  be, 
and  later  — as  the  good  Ziethen  raced  away  upon  another 
animal,  which  he  had  captured  — he  saw  the  subaltern 
fighting  upon  the  other  side. 

So  gratified  was  the  King  by  the  conduct  of  his  gallant 
cavalryman  in  this  affair,  that  he  mounted  his  horse,  and 
rode  to  meet  Ziethen  and  his  brave  troops,  as  they  returned 
from  the  field.  He  congratulated  them  upon  their  valour 


156  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


and  spoke  to  his  General  in  terms  of  consideration  and 
love,  and,  placing  himself  before  them,  led  the  troop  in 
triumph  through  the  whole  camp.  As  they  passed  by, 
all  the  soldiers  rushed  from  their  tents  and  cried,  “ Long 
live  the  King ! Long  live  the  gallant  Ziethen  and  his 
courageous  hussars ! ” 

Appreciating  the  worth  of  his  cavalryman,  King  Fred- 
erick determined  to  utilize  him  in  a very  dangerous  and 
exacting  errand.  This  was  to  penetrate  the  lines  of  the 
enemy,  and  deliver  to  the  Margrave  Charles  — his  ally  — 
certain  orders  which  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  receive  in 
order  to  properly  co-operate  with  the  Prussian  army,  in  a 
fierce  attack  which  he  soon  intended  to  make  upon  the 
Austrians.  At  the  time  when  he  issued  these  orders,  King 
Frederick  also  told  Ziethen  to  inform  every  man  in  his 
regiment  of  this  order,  so  that  if  they  could  not  make  their 
way  through  the  Austrian  posts,  each  hussar  who  escaped 
a bad  defeat,  could  tell  the  margrave  of  his  majesty’s 
intentions. 

In  order  to  carry  out  these  intentions,  Ziethen  determined 
to  make  his  own  hussars  pass  as  Austrians,  and  to  lead 
them  in  broad  daylight  through  the  lines  of  the  enemy. 
As  his  soldiers  were  still  wearing  their  summer  dress,  which 
consisted  of  red  mantles  and  felt  caps,  and  much  resembled 
those  worn  by  an  Austrian,  cavalry  regiment,  he  hoped 
that  his  men  would  be  taken  for  friends,  instead  of  foes. 
The  success  of  his  plan  depended,  of  course,  upon  the 
secrecy  with  which  it  was  conducted,  and  so,  without  in- 
forming anyone  of  his  intentions,  Ziethen  began  his 
hazardous  march. 

Arriving  in  safety  at  the  village  of  Neustadt,  the  regi- 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


157 


ment  was  drawn  up  in  the  market  place,  while  Ziethen, 
himself,  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  a steeple  in  order  to 
observe  the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  whom  he  saw  entering 
their  camp  in  two,  separate  columns.  The  discovery  of 
this  induced  him  to  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  it 
afforded  of  following  one  of  these  columns  under  the 
appearance  of  being  one  of  it,  because  of  the  red  uniforms 
of  his  hussars.  It  was  a dangerous  undertaking.  Should 
the  ruse  be  discovered,  he  would  be  immediately  sur- 
rounded and  cut  to  pieces.  But  the  fact  that  this  was  a 
hazardous  undertaking  seemed  to  stimulate  his  courage, 
rather  than  to  repress  it,  and  besides,  it  was  the  only 
feasible  way  of  obtaining  what  he  was  after. 

So,  without  more  ado,  the  regiment  marched  after  the 
retreating  Austrians,  taking  the  same  route  which  one  of 
the  columns  had  gone  over.  Express  orders  were  given 
not  to  draw  sabres  or  fire,  before  the  word  of  command 
was  given,  and  a few  straggling  Hussars  - — who  were 
natives  of  Hungary  — were  sent  before  the  rest  — so  that 
they  could  carelessly  salute,  in  their  own  language,  the 
Austrian  sentinels  whom  they  passed.  As  they  marched 
quietly  along  the  road,  a regiment  of  dragoons  saw  them, 
without  having  the  slightest  suspicion  who  they  were. 

About  three  o’clock  Ziethen  found  that  he  was  in  the 
centre  of  the  Austrian  camp  and  the  whole  country  was 
covered  with  the  red  mantles  of  the  Austrian  cavalry. 
As  the  squadrons  advanced  they  were  ordered  to  keep 
close  together,  so  that  in  case  they  should  be  discovered, 
they  could  easily  force  their  way  to  a safe  retreat.  But,  so 
far,  there  was  no  suspicion  who  they  were,  and,  so  great 
was  this  lack  of  knowledge  that  the  Colonel  of  the  regiment 


158  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


which  followed  them,  pushed  forward  his  horse  in  order  to 
inform  General  Ziethen  that  his  own  dragoons  were  close 
behind  him.  Imagine  his  surprise,  when,  he  was  suddenly- 
taken  prisoner  ! He  was  overwhelmed  with  astonishment 
and  hardly  able  to  persuade  himself  of  his  error,  until  he 
was  politely  but  firmly  requested  to  accompany  the  Prus- 
sian cavalry  upon  their  hazardous  journey.  They  still 
advanced  in  a leisurely  and  most  tranquil  manner. 

Surrounded,  on  all  sides,  by  the  enemy,  the  Prussians 
approached  the  camp,  when  suddenly  the  dragoons  in  the 
rear,  wheeled,  in  order  to  make  for  their  own  tents.  As 
they  did  so,  Ziethen’s  red  mantles  continued  their  march 
onward  and  this  was  immediately  perceived  by  the  Aus- 
trians. A few  hostile  cavalrymen  rushed  wildly  away, 
shouting,  “ Here  is  Ziethen ! The  Prussians  are  upon 
us ! ” The  alarm  spread  over  the  camp,  and  soon  all  the 
soldiers  there  were  in  arms.  A number  of  outpost  soldiers 
endeavoured  to  block  the  passage  of  Ziethen’s  men,  but 
they  were  soon  beaten  back,  and,  upon  a hard  gallop,  the 
Prussian  cavalry  dashed  past  those  who  would  stay  their 
passage. 

Still  skirmishing,  Ziethen  kept  along  the  highway  and 
continued  to  gain  ground  upon  his  pursuers.  As  he 
dashed  furiously  forward,  an  Austrian  officer  was  cut 
down  from  his  horse  and  lay  upon  the  ground  directly 
beneath  the  General’s  feet.  But,  at  this  instant,  the 
Prussian  recognized  the  fallen  soldier  as  an  old  comrade  in 
the  campaign  on  the  Rhine,  and  as  the  Austrian  called 
him  by  name  and  implored  him  not  to  put  an  end  to  his 
life,  the  General  ordered  a hussar  to  extricate  him  from  his 
horse  and  set  him  at  liberty.  A kind  action,  indeed,  at  a 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


159 


moment  of  danger,  and  one  that  well  exemplified  his 
humanity  and  justice  ! 

Still  passing  onward,  he  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  town 
of  Jagerndorf,  where  was  the  Margrave  whom  he  had  been 
sent  to  find.  It  was  a hand-to-hand  fight  all  the  way  and 
the  Austrians  fought  doggedly  to  capture  a portion  of  the 
Prussian  regiment.  And  in  this  they  were  nearly  success- 
ful, for  a regiment  of  cuirassiers,  belonging  to  the  Mar- 
grave’s forces,  had  come  out  to  assist  Ziethen’s  men,  only 
to  be  badly  beaten  by  a number  of  Croats,  who  drove  them 
pell-mell  upon  the  retreating  Prussians.  For  a while 
everything  was  mixed  up  in  a bad  tangle,  and  it  seemed  as 
if  Ziethen  himself  might  be  captured.  But,  although  far 
spent,  the  red-cloaked  hussars  made  a passage  through 
the  surrounding  Austrians  — by  dint  of  sword  thrusts  and 
pistols  — and  at  last,  arrived  at  Jagerndorf,  where  they 
were  received  with  all  the  joy  and  admiration  due  them  for 
their  courage  and  good  fortune. 

An  episode  which  occurred  not  long  after  this,  heightened 
Ziethen’s  fame  still  more  and  made  him  the  most  talked 
of  man  in  the  Prussian  army.  A major  in  his  regiment 
formed  a plan  of  great  boldness,  consisting  of  an  attempt 
to  carry  off  a whole  regiment  of  Uhlans  camped  near  by. 
To  assist  him  in  this  enterprise,  he  secured  another  officer 
with  two  hundred  horse,  and,  as  he  himself  took  an  equal 
number,  it  was  quite  a little  troop  which  rode  away  for 
this  hazardous  undertaking.  Ziethen  knew  that  these 
were  both  brave  soldiers  and  good  fighters,  but  he  also 
remembered  that  they  both  possessed  hot  tempers  and 
impetuous  natures.  So,  in  order  that  they  might  make  no 
false  step,  he  followed  them  with  his  regiment  — without 


160  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


their  knowledge  of  it  — and  lay  in  ambush  in  a wood  on 
the  road  to  Koniginngratz. 

It  was  well  that  he  had  done  so,  for  the  two  Prussian 
officers  surprised  the  body  of  Uhlans ; killed  some ; took 
several  prisoners ; and  dispersed  the  rest  towards  the  town. 
But  — unable  to  check  their  fiery  ardour  — they  rushed 
after  the  fugitives  and  were  soon  near  the  fortifications  of 
the  town,  itself,  where  the  garrison  quickly  came  out  to 
punish  them.  The  Uhlans,  too,  resumed  their  lost  courage, 
and,  turning  about,  had  soon  surrounded  the  Prussians 
with  a determined  line  of  men.  It  looked  black  for  the 
once  victorious  hussars  of  King  Frederick’s  army,  for 
they  would  soon  be  either  obliged  to  surrender  or  be  cut  to 
pieces. 

At  this  moment  Ziethen  gave  the  word  to  quit  the  am- 
bush, and,  with  a wild  cheer,  his  soldiers  rushed  to  the 
assistance  of  their  comrades.  “ Forward  for  King  Fred- 
erick and  Old  Ziethen  ! ” they  called,  as  with  drawn  sabre 
and  pistol,  they  quickly  galloped  into  the  midst  of  the 
Austrians.  The  mere  sight  of  brave  Ziethen  struck  the 
enemy  with  panic  and  threw  them  into  disorder.  “ Ziethen 
is  here ! ” they  cried,  “ Back,  back  to  the  town  ! ” and, 
dropping  their  prisoners,  they  were  soon  hurrying  to- 
wards Koniginngratz.  The  prisoners  were  set  free;  the 
two  majors  were  rescued  from  their  distress;  and  an 
expedition  terminated  gloriously  which  looked  as  if  it 
would  end  only  in  defeat  and  dishonour. 

Unfortunately  for  General  Ziethen,  he  was  soon  unable  - 
to  take  further  part  in  the  war,  as  one  of  his  hussars  was 
carelessly  firing  off  his  gun,  after  the  battle ; and  the  ball  — - 
instead  of  wounding  an  enemy  — pierced  the  calf  of  the 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


161 


cavalry  leader’s  leg.  This  obliged  him  to  leave  the  army 
for  some  time,  and  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  take  part 
in  several  important  engagements  which  followed.  An 
admirer  says:  “In  this  war  Ziethen  had  acquired  new 

claims  for  admiration  and  esteem.  He  had  shown  him- 
self able  to  cope  with  the  greatest  commanders  of  the  age. 
Uniting  wisdom  with  courage,  contempt  of  danger  with 
perseverance ; dexterity  with  presence  of  mind ; and 
activity  with  the  most  perfect  command  of  temper,  he 
conceived  his  plans  with  the  progressiveness  of  the  rising 
storm  and  executed  them  with  the  rapidity  of  the  thunder- 
bolt. Unruffled  in  the  heat  of  battle ; singularly  accurate 
and  concise  in  giving  his  orders;  foreseeing  everything; 
prepared  for  everything;  he  was  invariably  able  to  turn 
the  circumstances  of  the  moment  to  advantage.  Were  the 
enemy  to  be  attacked  ? — his  station  was  in  the  van.  Was 
it  expedient  to  withdraw  from  action  ? — it  was  he  who 
covered  the  retreat.  His  name  acquired  universal  celebrity ; 
he  was  justly  ranked  among  the  most  distinguished 
generals  of  the  Prussian  army;  and  considered  as  the 
model  of  a victorious  hero.” 

There  was  now  a period  of  inaction  for  the  Prussian 
troops  and  seven  years  of  peace  before  the  Third  Silesian 
war.  In  this  time  Frederick  the  Great  grew  highly  dis- 
satisfied with  several  of  his  generals  and  even  extended 
his  ill  humour  upon  many  of  the  margraves  and  princes  of 
the  blood.  At  the  reviews  of  the  army  he  frequently  treated 
them  so  outrageously  that  a few  believed  that  he  had 
totally  forgotten  the  services  which  they  had  rendered  him. 
Towards  Ziethen  he  seemed  to  extend  a special  ill- wall,  and 
one  day  — after  he  had  reviewed  his  regiment  of  hussars  — 


162  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  remarked,  “ Your  men  are  detestable,  General  Ziethen, 
and  march  like  a lot  of  country  boobies  on  parade.  They 
remind  me  of  unlicked  bears,  and  should  not  appear  in 
public  until  they  learn  the  rudiments  of  the  art  of  marching. 
Begone,  with  your  country  louts.  I’ve  had  enough  of 
you ! ” 

Ziethen  listened  to  this  outburst  with  respectful  silence, 
and  then  thrust  his  sword  into  his  scabbard,  exclaiming, 
“ Sire,  though  we  are  good  for  nothing  at  the  present  day, 
yet  there  was  a time  in  which  we  did  our  duty;  as  long  as 
there  was  any  need  of  our  services,  we  were,  it  seems, 
worth  something.” 

“ Yes,”  replied  the  great  Frederick.  “ You  were  then 
worth  much,  but,  at  present  you  have  become  remiss  and  I 
would  sooner  have  a lot  of  jack  tars  to  help  me  win  my 
battles.” 

Ziethen  remained  silent  at  this  and  said  no  more  of  the 
affair,  although  he  deeply  felt  the  sting  of  this  rebuff.  A 
few  weeks  later,  the  King  held  other  manoeuvres,  and, 
during,  the  course  of  them,  ordered  Ziethen’s  regiment  to 
charge.  This  the  hussars  did  in  a splendid  manner,  but 
Frederick  was  much  incensed  at  their  actions.  “ I’ll  see 
no  more  of  this  bungling,”  he  called  to  Ziethen.  “ Away 
all  of  you  ! ” Scarcely  had  he  uttered  these  words  than  his 
brave  cavalryman,  taking  the  words  in  their  literal  sense, 
left  the  field  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  and  marched 
directly  to  Berlin  — where  he  remained  for  a week  sulking 
in  sullen  ill  humour.  This  so  incensed  his  monarch  that 
for  the  seven  years  of  peace  he  did  not  speak  to  him  and  re- 
fused to  advance  him  in  rank.  Finally  — when  war  broke 
out  afresh  — he  was  only  too  willing  to  overlook  this  affair 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


163 


— and  calling  upon  his  old  warrior  in  his  home  — he 
took  him  in  his  arms,  saying,  “ Come,  go  with  me  to  the 
front,  my  brave  Ziethen.  Let  what  has  passed  between  us 
be  forgotten.  It  was  I who  was  to  blame  and  it  is  I who 
have  felt  this  estrangement  more  than  you.” 

This  third  Silesian  war  began  in  August,  1756,  and 
threatened  the  Prussian  empire  with  devastation  and  ruin. 
But  Frederick  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  — with  the 
help  of  his  brave  army  — rose  triumphant  from  the  deluge 
which  seemed  to  be  about  to  overwhelm  him.  At  the 
famous  battle  of  Prague,  Ziethen  was  a veritable  meteor 
of  courageous  hre.  To  him  and  his  brave  hussars  belong 
the  credit  for  turning  the  tide  of  battle  at  a most  critical 
period ; for,  in  command  of  the  corps  of  reserve,  he  had 
been  told  not  to  join  in  the  attack,  and  did  so  only  because 
his  military  sense  warned  him  that  to  disobey  orders  meant 
victory.  The  infantry  had  been  beaten  back  as  he  ad- 
vanced, and  it  looked  like  defeat  and  utter  rout  for  the 
Prussian  army. 

But  Ziethen  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  addressing 
the  retreating  troops  in  a calm  and  resolute  manner,  he 
exhorted  them  to  form  themselves  again  in  line,  and  to 
return  to  the  attack  upon  the  enemy.  As  he  spoke,  a 
column  of  dust  began  to  raise,  and,  as  it  came  near,  a body 
of  hussars  was  seen,  hastening  to  the  relief  of  their  com- 
rades. Pointing  to  it,  he  said, 

“ Soldiers,  the  defeat  which  you  have  sustained  is  a 
disastrous  event  for  King  Frederick.  Here  come  the 
hussars  to  your  assistance.  Forward  for  Prussia  and  the 
King  ! Forward,  and  repair  the  mischief  you  have  done  ! ” 

Having  pronounced  these  words  in  a firm  and  resolute 


164  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


voice,  he  put  himself  at  the  head  of  these  troops,  with 
drawn  sabre  in  hand,  crying,  “ March ! ” and  soon  the 
inspired  soldiers  were  charging  the  Austrian  infantry  with 
a fury  that  was  unwithstandable.  The  enemy  broke  and 
fled. 

As  Ziethen  galloped  ahead  with  a troop  of  hussars,  an 
Austrian  General  cried  out, 

“ What,  are  you  all  mad?  Do  you  not  see  that  you  are 
going  to  charge  a regiment  of  the  line  ? ” 

“ Silence,”  Ziethen  called  to  his  men.  “ Do  your 
work.”  And  in  a few  moments  more,  the  Austrian  regi- 
ment was  broken  and  in  full  retreat.  Soon  the  entire  army 
was  dispersed  and  victory  for  King  Frederick  was  secure. 
To  Ziethen’s  pluck  and  courage  was  this  mainly  due. 

Shortly  afterwards  — at  the  battle  of  Kolin  — he  wras 
ordered  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  four  regiments  of 
heavy  horse  and  to  endeavour  to  carry  a strong  position, 
held  by  Austrian  infantry,  assisted  by  a battery  of  artillery. 
This  he  attempted  to  do,  and,  in  spite  of  a strong  resistance 
on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  succeeded  in  penetrating  their 
line.  The  squadrons  of  Prussian  horsemen  were  pressing 
exultantly  onward,  and  the  moment  of  victory  seemed 
surely  at  hand,  when  Ziethen  was  struck  by  a grape-shot 
which  made  him  reel  and  drop  senseless  upon  his  horse’s 
neck.  When  his  troops  saw  this  — although,  only  a 
moment  before  they  had  braved  the  mouths  of  the  cannon 
— now  they  were  struck  dumb  with  panic  and  betook 
themselves  to  flight. 

Had  it  not  been  for  a young  officer,  brave  Ziethen  would 
have  been  abandoned  to  the  mercy  of  the  enemy.  As  the 
ball  which  struck  him  deprived  him  of  all  feeling,  he  would 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


165 


have  fallen  from  his  horse  and  been  trampled  to  death 
beneath  the  retreating  Prussians,  had  not  the  youthful 
officer  supported  him  in  the  saddle.  While  he  was  moving 
away  with  the  lifeless  body  in  his  arms,  Ziethen’s  steed 
was  again  pierced  by  a fresh  discharge  of  grape-shot  which 
knocked  him  to  the  ground.  As  he  fell,  the  young  Prus- 
sian cornet  suddenly  dragged  him  to  a position  in  front 
of  him  and  galloped  awray  to  a coach  belonging  to  Prince 
Maurice  — an  ally  of  Frederick  the  Great.  In  this,  the 
renowned  General  of  Cavalry  was  drawn  away  — out  of 
range  of  the  enemy’s  shells  — and  to  the  care  of  a well- 
known  army  surgeon,  who  quickly  dressed  his  wounds. 
For  months  he  was  unable  to  rejoin  his  troops,  while  the 
brave  cuirassier,  who  had  conveyed  him  through  so  many 
dangers,  was  rewarded  most  abundantly  by  Frederick  the 
Great. 

This  would  have  kept  many  a less  war-like  man  from  the 
front,  but  it  did  not  dampen  the  spirits  of  the  courageous 
General  Ziethen.  As  soon  as  his  wound  would  permit  it, 
he  was  again  back  to  his  regiment  and  as  active  in  the 
campaign  as  before  the  accident.  But  the  tide  had  begun 
to  turn  against  Frederick’s  army,  and  so  perturbed  were 
some  of  his  Generals,  that  — at  a council  of  war — a few 
suggested  a retreat.  x\t  this  Ziethen’s  eyes  began  to 
sparkle  with  the  gleam  of  anger,  and  when  he  was  asked 
his  opinion  of  such  a proceeding,  he  replied  with  vehe- 
mence, 

“ Would  you  have  our  soldiers  lose  the  small  remains  of 
courage  that  they  still  possess?  Would  you  deprive  the 
King  of  his  army  ? Do  you  not  suppose  that  such  a retreat, 
which  it  would  be  hard  to  distinguish  from  a flight,  would 


166  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


not  make  every  soldier  believe  that  the  situation  were 
desperate  ? And,  upon  that  supposition,  how  would  you  be 
able  to  prevent  desertion?  How  secure  the  artillery,  the 
provisions,  the  baggage  ? For  my  own  part  I shall  never 
assent  to  such  ill-concerted  measures.  Let  us  give  the  men 
time  to  reflect  upon  this  falling  back  — a day  at  least  — 
then,  when  all  had  been  explained  to  them  let  us  withdraw 
gradually  and  without  ceasing  to  exhibit  a bold  front  ? ” 

In  spite  of  this  harangue  the  Prussians  fell  back;  but, 
being  reinforced  by  King  Frederick,  soon  came  in  contact 
with  the  enemy  in  a battle,  where  Ziethen  — at  the  head  of 
his  cavalry  — completely  broke  the  ranks  of  the  Austrian 
horse;  pursued  and  hemmed  in  the  fugitives;  and  sig- 
nally routed  them,  — an  event  which  secured  a thorough 
victory  for  the  Prussian  army.  The  General  of  cavalry 
was  urged  by  the  King  to  pursue  the  enemy,  “ Lose  not  a 
moment,”  Frederick  wrote  him,  “ pursue  them  incessantly. 
The  country  must  furnish  you  bread."  And  so  well  did 
Ziethen  follow  this  counsel  that  the  Austrians  were  utterly 
broken  and  dispersed. 

Afterwards  he  was  cut  off  at  Dohmstadel  with  a convoy 
of  troops  and  barely  escaped  with  his  life ; was  engaged  in 
many  hazardous  charges;  often  covered  the  Prussian 
army  in  its  counter  marches  and  retreats;  and  conducted 
himself  with  so  much  bravery,  that  King  Frederick  wrote 
to  him,  and  said, 

“ My  dear  Lieutenant-General  de  Ziethen:  — 

“I  hereby  inform  you,  that  instead  of  the  stipulated 
allowance  for  winter  quarters,  I have  assigned  you  fifteen 
hundred  dollars,  which  you  will  receive  from  the  military 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


167 


chest.  I sincerely  wish  that  circumstances  permitted  me  to 
express  my  satisfaction  in  a more  efficacious  manner.  I 
acknowledge,  as  I ought,  your  many  and  indefatigable 
services.  Be  assured  I shall  never  forget  them,  and  that 
on  every  occasion  I shall  be  happy  to  show  you,  how  much 
I am  your  affectionate  King, 

“ Frederick.” 

Such  was  the  reputation  which  he  obtained  that  the 
Austrians  became  fearful  of  attacking  him,  at  least,  with 
equal  force.  After  one  battle  his  sabre  had  been  used  so 
freely  upon  the  enemies  of  his  country  that  his  attendant- 
hussar  had  a difficult  task  to  clean  it,  which  was  good 
witness  to  the  part  he  personally  took  in  the  charges  of 
cavalry.  So  beloved  was  he  by  his  soldiers  that  they  would 
cheer  when  he  rode  by  upon  his  horse,  and  he  had  only  to 
say  “ Forward  ” in  order  to  inspire  them  with  zeal  and 
courage. 

To  prevent  and  put  an  end  to  murmurs  of  discontent 
among  his  men  he  would  often  visit  the  ranks,  on  foot,  as 
well  as  on  horseback,  and  invite  the  soldiers  to  come  out  of 
their  tents.  “ Well,  comrades,”  he  would  say,  “ What 
are  you  doing  there  ? ” As  soon  as  his  voice  was  heard  the 
privates  would  appear  and  would  shout,  “ Long  live  our 
good  father,  Ziethen ! ” “ Well,”  he  would  reply,  “ And 
how  do  things  go  on  with  you  ? ” 

“ Bad  enough,”  was  often  the  answer. 

“ Take  courage,  comrades,”  he  would  reply  to  this.  “ If 
things  go  ill  to-day,  they  may  grow  better  to-morrow.” 

In  this  way  he  often  dispelled  the  cloud  that  hung  over 
the  gloomy  brows  of  his  men. 


168  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


At  the  close  of  the  Seven  Years’  War  there  had  not  been 
a large  engagement  in  which  Ziethen’s  regiment  had  acted 
ill,  and  there  was  not  an  officer  belonging  to  it,  who  had 
not  more  or  less  distinguished  himself  in  pitched  battles, 
encounters,  and  skirmishes.  Ziethen  himself  was  the  idol 
of  the  peasantry  and  common  people ; his  renown  was  not 
confined  to  the  limits  of  his  own  country;  and  his  name 
was  universally  linked  with  that  of  Frederick  the  Great. 

The  General  was  low  of  stature ; thin ; but  well  built ; 
with  an  oval  face ; dark  brown  hair ; a flat  forehead ; and 
large,  blue  eyes.  His  mouth  was  somewhat  wide,  his  lips 
thick  and  the  under  one  marked  with  a deep  scar.  His  eyes 
were  full  of  an  expression  of  fire  and  his  face  was  serious 
and  dignified.  He  was  brisk  in  his  motions ; could  use  the 
sabre  with  either  hand,  and  was  a splendid  horseman. 
Adverse  to  loquacity,  he  could  say  much  in  a few  words. 
His  answers  were  short  and  precise,  and  his  replies  were 
direct  and  to  the  point.  His  whole  person  showed  serenity, 
experience,  and  firmness  of  character;  commanding  at- 
tention, obedience,  and  respect. 

He  was  remarkably  neat  and  clean  in  his  apparel  and 
was  always  found  with  his  regimentals  on  in  the  early  morn- 
ing. As  soon  as  he  was  dressed  it  was  his  custom  to  say 
his  prayers,  a duty  which  he  was  never  known  to  neglect. 
Frugal  in  diet,  he  never  took  either  tea  or  coffee  and  ate 
no  other  vegetable  than  carrots.  He  drank  either  water, 
or  a diet-drink  which  he  prepared  himself,  and  so  much 
did  this  strict  regime  agree  with  him,  that  he  lived  to  a hale 
and  hearty,  old  age. 

When  the  great  cavalryman  had  reached  his  seventy- 
ninth  birthday,  war  was  begun  with  Bavaria,  and,  in  spite 


OLD  FATHER  ZIETHEN 


169 


of  his  years,  Ziethen  plead  with  King  Frederick  to  be 
allowed  to  go.  But  to  a letter  enclosing  this  request,  the 
King  replied, 

“ I hasten  to  inform  you  how  mortified  I am  to  leave  you 
in  garrison  on  account  of  your  health,  which,  as  I have 
told  you  often,  will  not  allow  you  to  go  through  the  labours 
of  a campaign.  I am  convinced  of  your  good  will,  but  no 
man  is  required  to  exert  himself  beyond  his  powers,  and  all 
you  have  now  to  do  is  to  rest  from  your  past  fatigue.  I 
remain  your  very  affectionate  King, 

“ Frederick.” 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  what  the  great  cavalryman 
felt  when  he  saw  the  departure  of  the  King  and  the  army 
for  the  front.  On  the  day  when  his  old  regiment  left 
Berlin,  before  sunrise,  he  was  in  the  city  to  take  leave  of 
his  men;  “ his  children,”  as  he  called  them.  In  a short 
and  pathetic  speech  he  exhorted  them  to  be  mindful  of 
what  they  owed  their  country,  to  their  profession  and  to 
their  reputations.  And  when  the  soldiers  marched  by, 
the  good,  old  man  shed  tears  of  sorrow.  On  his  return  to 
his  house  and  when  in  the  midst  of  his  family,  he  suddenly 
exclaimed,  with  a deep  sigh,  “ Alas ! I have  now  nothing 
to  do  but  to  raise  a regiment  of  women  ! ” 

Several  years  afterwards,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  he 
died,  — an  event  which  filled  all  Prussia  with  alarm  and 
sorrow.  Throngs  of  peasants,  nobles,  and  citizens, 
hastened  to  see  his  corpse  as  it  lay  in  state.  Thousands 
of  old  soldiers  gazed  wet-eyed  upon  the  well-known 
features  of  their  peerless  leader  as  he  thus  lay,  and  fol- 


170  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 

lowed  the  hearse  in  long  lines,  as  the  body  of  brave  Ziethen 
was  carried  to  the  family  vault  in  the  little  village  of 
Wustrau.  Here  a simple  tomb-stone  marks  his  last  resting- 
place,  but  on  a statue  in  the  park  of  Rheimsberg,  erected  to 
Augustus  William  of  Prussia,  is  a eulogy  to  Ziethen,  — the 
general  who  contributed  more  to  his  victories  than  any 
other  man.  It  runs, 

General  De  Ziethen 
Attained 

To  a Happy  and  Glorious  Old  Age; 

Every  time  he  Combatted, 

He  Triumphed. 

His  military  Glance,  joined 
To  His  Heroic  Valour, 

Decided  the  Fate  of  Battles; 

But  What  Distinguished  Him  Still  More, 

Was  His  Integrity,  His  Disinterestedness, 

And  His  Contempt  For  All  Such 
As  Enriched  Themselves  at  the  Expense  of  Oppressed  Nations. 

Finally  a statue  was  erected  to  the  brave,  old  hero  in 
Berlin  itself,  and  here,  at  the  present  day,  the  soldiers  of 
united  Germany  often  gaze  at  the  manly  features  of 
Frederick  the  Great’s  spirited  cavalry  officer,  and  say, 
“ He  lived  a soldier’s  life  and  lived  it  well.  All  honour  to 
old  father  Ziethen,  and  may  his  noble  example  ever  be  a 
guide  and  model  to  the  defenders  of  the  Fatherland.” 


GENERAL  BARON  VON  SEYDLITZ 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM  BARON  VON  SEYDLITZ : 
HERO  OF  THE  SEVEN  YEARS’  WAR 

[1721—1783] 

FREDERICK  the  Great  rode  one  day  in  the 
vicinity  of  Berlin,  and,  as  he  went  carelessly  along, 
a light-haired  officer  of  the  Prussian  service  leaped 
his  horse  across  a high  board-fence  and  joined  him.  The 
King  scowled. 

“ General  von  Seydlitz,”  he  said,  “ How  is  it  that  so 
many  men  break  their  necks  in  your  regiment?  Here, 
my  chief-of-hospital  service  submits  me  a report  that  more 
soldiers  are  disabled  from  your  command  — in  times  of 
peace  — than  in  any  other  of  my  cavalry  regiments.  This 
needless  waste  of  human  energy  must  cease.” 

The  officer  whom  he  had  addressed,  smiled  good 
naturedly. 

“ Command  me,  your  Royal  Highness,”  he  answered, 
“ and  I will  not  teach  my  soldiers  dare-deviltry,  but  I 
cannot  then  guarantee  that  they  will  fight  well.  One  can 
throw  a subaltern  in  my  regiment,  and  a house  cat,  from 
a tower,  at  the  same  time,  and  it  will  not  hurt  either ; for 
by  my  constant  training  I have  succeeded  in  hardening 
my  men  so  that  they  will  be  always  able  to  light  upon  their 
feet.” 

This  reply  was  characteristic  of  the  fiery  General  von 
Seydlitz,  who  was  the  greatest  dare-devil  in  all  Prussia 

171 


172  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


and  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  fearless  horseman  of  the 
armies  which  struggled  for  the  possession  of  Germany, 
during  the  reign  of  the  great  Frederick.  Once  he  was  out 
exercising  his  soldiers  when  they  came  to  a gentle  preacher 
with  his  wife,  who,  driving  a slow  and  lazy  horse,  were 
stuck  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 

“ Come,  men,”  shouted  von  Seydlitz,  “ I will  show  you 
how  a Prussian  General  of  Cavalry  surmounts  an  ob- 
stacle,” and  touching  his  horse  sharply  with  his  spurs,  he 
rushed  towards  the  timid  man-of-God  and  jumped  his 
steed  over  the  vehicle  and  its  occupants,  who  gaped  at  the 
flying  cavalryman  with  wonder  and  amazement.  His 
soldiers  did  no,t  have  the  nerve  to  follow. 

The  roistering  leader  of  cavalry  came  by  his  love  of 
horse  flesh  most  naturally,  for  his  father  was  a Captain  of 
Dragoons  and  of  an  ancient  and  noble  Turigen  family. 
At  the  age  of  seven  young  von  Seydlitz  could  ride  a horse, 
which  delighted  his  parent  beyond  measure.  At  fourteen 
the  Margrave  von  Schwedt  appointed  him  his  page,  and 
as  this  noble-hearted  gentleman  loved  a person  of  boldness 
and  daring,  he  soon  had  taught  his  charge  how  to  stay  upon 
a horse’s  back  in  any  kind  of  a predicament. 

In  the  Margrave’s  preserves  were  a number  of  deer 
which  were  none  too  tame.  They  were  enclosed  behind  a 
high,  wooden  fence  and  were  fed  by  his  attendants.  The 
Margrave  was  very  fond  of  them,  and  as,  one  day,  he 
watched  their  beautiful  forms,  he  became  imbued  with  a 
brilliant  idea. 

“ Here,  young  von  Seydlitz,”  he  called,  “ You  wish  to 
be  a leader  of  cavalry,  do  you  not  ? Let  me  see  you  ride 
one  of  these  deer.” 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


173 


“ All  right,”  replied  the  courageous,  young  man.  “ It 
shall  be  as  you  desire,”  and,  suiting  the  action  to  the 
words,  he  was  soon  astride  one  of  the  Margrave’s  pets,  and 
galloping  furiously  around  the  enclosure  which  held  them 
in. 

“ Hurray,”  he  shouted.  “ I can  ride  the  fellow,  and  I 
shall  be  one  of  the  greatest  riders  in  all  Prussia,  some  day.” 
Not  content  with  this  display  of  horsemanship,  the  Mar- 
grave soon  decided  upon  another  form  of  teaching  for  his 
young  charge.  So,  placing  him  and  his  son  in  a coach 
with  four  horses,  he  drove  out  into  the  fields  beyond  the 
town,  in  which  he  resided,  and  there  ordered  the  postil- 
ions to  dismount.  When  they  had  done  so,  he  commanded 
them  to  beat  the  horses  with  their  whips.  The  spirited 
nags  immediately  began  to  gallop  away,  and  when  they 
had  gone  some  distance,  the  Margrave  shouted, 

“ Jump,  boys,  jump  for  your  lives  ! ” 

The  boys  opened  the  doors  and  leaped  out  upon  the 
ground  without  injuring  themselves. 

“ Well  done,”  called  the  Margrave,  whose  lackeys  had 
now  caught  therun-away  team.  “ You  will  both  be  cavalry- 
men, some  day.” 

This  adventure  was  repeated  several  times,  and  when 
the  teacher  of  hardihood  and  courage  thought  that  his 
youths  had  learned  sufficiently  well  how  to  extricate  them- 
selves from  a running  carriage,  he  had  another  lesson  for 
them  to  learn.  Riding  one  day  with  von  Seydlitz  to  the 
top  of  a hill,  he  pointed  to  a wind-mill  and  said, 

“ You  see  that  wind-mill,  young  man.  If  you  are  to 
become  a cavalry  leader  you  must  ride  between  the  sails 
as  they  go  around.” 


174  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ It  shall  be  as  you  say,”  answered  the  brave  youth,  and, 
watching  his  opportunity,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
galloped  between  the  revolving  wings  of  the  mill.  Had 
one  struck  him  he  would  have  been  severely  injured. 

This  feat  he  often  repeated,  and  when  he  was  much 
older,  and  in  command  of  a cavalry  regiment,  insisted 
that  his  own  soldiers  should  learn  to  ride  between  the 
wings  of  a wind- mill,  in  order  to  teach  them  speed  and 
daring.  Of  this  he  had  shown  sufficient  to  please  the 
Margrave  when  he  left  his  service  to  become  cornet  in  a 
cuirassier  regiment  under  the  command  of  an  officer  of 
great  strictness.  Young  von  Seydlitz  was  very  popular 
with  him  and  conducted  himself  so  well  that  he  was  made 
an  officer  of  ordnance.  In  this  position  he  was  serving  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  Seven  Years’  War. 

It  was  not  long  before  his  daring  came  to  the  notice  of 
King  Frederick,  who  greatly  admired  boldness  and  de- 
cision. At  a battle  with  the  Austrians,  some  batteries  of 
artillery  began  to  play  upon  the  lines  of  Prussian  troops, 
when  the  King  cried  out,  “ I wonder  what  kind  of  shells 
these  fellows  are  using  ? ” 

“ Wait,  one  moment,  your  Majesty,  and  I will  tell  you,” 
said  von  Seydlitz,  and  galloping  forward,  he  extracted  a 
ball  of  shrapnell  from  the  ground,  put  it  in  his  handker- 
chief, and  brought  it  to  his  sovereign,  while  the  Austrians 
endeavoured  to  lay  him  low  by  some  well-directed  shots. 

“ Thank  you,  brave  Cornet,”  said  Frederick.  “ If  you 
continue  to  distinguish  yourself,  you  will  be  soon  a great 
man.” 

Von  Seydlitz  felt  highly  flattered  by  this  and  was  very 
well  pleased  with  himself,  until  — a short  time  later  — he 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


175 


met  with  a serious  reverse.  Ordered  to  move  forward 
from  the  Prussian  army  and  to  hold  the  village  of  Krano- 
witz  against  the  Hungarians,  he  did  so,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  had  only  thirty  cuirassiers  and  he  knew  that  the 
Hungarians  were  nearby  with  a large  force.  He  had  the 
roads  barricaded,  hobbled  his  horses  in  the  court,  and 
concealed  his  men  in  the  hedges  on  either  side  of  the  road. 
Here  the  Hungarians  discovered  him,  and  attacked  with 
such  great  impetuosity,  and  with  such  great  numbers,  that 
they  forced  the  capitulation  of  the  gallant  band,  with  the 
condition  that  the  horses,  and  weapons  of  the  conquered, 
should  belong  to  them.  At  this  moment  a Prussian 
General  hurried  to  the  rescue  of  the  brave,  little  troop,  but 
a force  of  three  thousand  Hungarians  fell  upon  him  with 
such  fierceness  that  he  was  obliged  to  retire,  thus  leaving 
the  brave  von  Seydlitz  in  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  He 
was  taken  to  the  fortified  town  of  Raab,  where  he  made  a 
plan  of  all  of  the  defences  of  the  city,  and,  when  exchanged, 
was  highly  complimented  by  the  Prussian  King,  who  made 
him  Captain  of  the  White  Hussars.  The  newly  fledged 
commander  was  loathe  to  leave  his  brave  cuirassiers  and 
did  so  weeping,  while  Frederick  gave  to  each  a present  in 
recognition  of  the  gallant  fight  which  they  had  put  up 
against  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy.  Shortly 
after  this  von  Seydlitz  met  the  officer  who  had  attempted 
to  rescue  him  at  Kranowitz.  “ Wait  until  the  King  sees 
you,”  said  the  Prussian  leader,  who  was  quite  jealous  of 
the  young  soldier,  “ He  will  give  it  to  you  for  being  cap- 
tured by  the  Hungarians.” 

“ I have  seen  him  already,”  von  Seydlitz  replied.  “ And, 
instead  of  punishing  me  he  has  made  me  Captain  of  the 
White  Hussars.” 


176  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


In  Berlin  — not  long  after  this  — the  King  was  talking 
to  the  spirited  young  Captain  about  the  danger  of  capture 
from  the  enemy. 

“ Any  one  who  has  a good  horse  under  him  should  never 
be  captured,  no  matter  what  his  situation,”  said  von 
Seydlitz,  rather  vaingloriously. 

The  King  did  not  reply  to  this  remark,  but  a short  time 
later  when  they  had  come  to  a draw-bridge,  he  drew  it  up, 
and,  turning  to  his  boastful  officer,  said, 

“ Now  you  have  your  horse,  but  you  are  my  prisoner.” 

“ Not  by  a great  deal,”  von  Seydlitz  replied,  and 
spurring  his  horse,  he  dashed  towards  the  bridge.  His 
steed  gave  a tremendous  spring ; struck  the  opposite  bank, 
and  rolled  backwards  into  the  stream,  from  which  he  soon 
extricated  himself,  while  his  rider  was  covered  with  slime 
and  mud. 

King  Frederick  laughed  heartily  at  the  appearance  of  his 
officer,  as  von  Seydlitz  called  out  from  the  other  bank. 
“ Did  I not  tell  you,  your  Royal  Highness,  that  no  man 
need  be  captured  who  had  a good  horse  under  him.” 

For  this  the  King  is  said  to  have  advanced  him  a grade, 
which  gave  rise  to  an  old  saying : “Asa  Cornet  he  sprang 
into  the  Spree  — As  a Captain  he  swam  to  land.” 

The  youthful  leader  was  not  devoid  of  humour,  as  we 
have  seen,  and  during  the  war,  had  an  amusing  experience 
with  the  abbess  of  a convent,  near  Trelnitz.  The  Hussars 
were  encamped  upon  the  abbey  grounds,  and,  according 
to  the  dictates  of  war,  the  food  for  the  horses  had  to  be 
supplied  by  the  nuns.  This  was  of  such  meagre  quality 
that  the  ribs  soon  began  to  show  in  the  war  horses  of  the 
gallant  Prussians. 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


177 


One  day,  as  von  Seydlitz  was  coming  down  a narrow 
road,  he  ran  into  the  coach-and-four  of  the  Abbess,  which 
was  returning  from  a visit  to  the  countryside.  The  sudden 
appearance  of  his  horses  made  the  sleek  and  well-fed 
animals  in  the  coach  rear  and  plunge.  The  nuns,  inside 
the  vehicle,  would  have  been  spilled  upon  the  ground,  had 
not  the  gallant  officer  rushed  to  the  heads  of  the  animals 
and  quieted  them. 

“ I will  punish  my  soldiers  for  charging  into  you  so 
suddenly,”  cried  von  Seydlitz,  as  he  lifted  the  stout  Abbess 
from  her  coach. 

“ Nay,  do  not  do  so,  I pray  you,”  said  the  good  Sister  of 
Charity.  “I  could  not  see  that  done.” 

The  Captain  smiled.  “ Well,”  he  replied,  “ You  know 
it  was  jealousy  of  your  sleek  nags  which  made  my  horses 
cut  up  so.” 

The  Abbess  appreciated  the  humour  of  this  remark, 
and  afterwards,  the  forage  which  came  from  the  Abbey 
was  sufficient  to  keep  the  horses  of  the  White  Hussars  in 
excellent,  fighting  trim. 

An  old  farmer  who  lived  nearby  was  fond  of  telling  tales 
on  the  brave  troopers  to  the  commanding  General.  “ They 
pillage  too  much  and  steal  too  many  chickens,”  he  was 
accustomed  to  say,  quite  often.  When  von  Seydlitz  heard 
of  it  he  decided  to  teach  the  old  fellow  a lesson  so  that  he 
would  cease  his  remarks  about  the  necessary  depredations 
of  his  command.  So,  he  lined  his  men  up  on  either  side 
of  the  path  through  which  he  knew  the  farmer  had  to  pass 
on  his  way  to  the  village,  and  when  he  came  along,  one  of 
the  videttes  had  soon  halted  him  at  the  muzzle  of  a 
gun. 


178  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ You  must  come  before  my  leader,”  said  the  vidette, 
“ for  you  have  been  found  skulking  through  the  lines.” 
When  he  was  brought  before  von  Seydlitz,  the  Captain 
asked, 

“ What  were  you  doing  on  that  path,  my  good  sir  ? ” 

“ I was  — was  — ” began  the  farmer,  and  then  he  could 
go  no  farther. 

“ You  were  not  there  for  any  good  purpose,”  said  von 
Seydlitz  sternly.  “ And  any  man  whom  my  hussars  find 
taking  narrow  paths  instead  of  the  broad  high-way,  they 
suspect  as  a spy  for  whom  the  punishment  is  — death.  I 
wish  you  good-day,  sir.”  Never  afterwards  were  the 
Hussars  worried  by  the  tales  of  the  crusty  farmer. 

Another  episode,  shortly  after  this,  won  for  Captain  von 
Seydlitz  the  thanks  and  admiration  of  all  the  inhabitants 
of  that  particular  province  in  which  the  Prussian  cavalry 
was  stationed.  A remarkably  strong,  Polish  nobleman 
lived  in  the  neighbourhood,  who  had  much  power  and  a 
stubborn  will,  so  strong  in  fact,  that  he  would  often  go 
into  the  market  place  and  insist  upon  the  people  taking 
his  advice  for  sales  of  horses.  One  day  as  the  Hussar 
Captain  was  strolling  in  the  town,  this  Polish  nobleman 
met  him  and  said,  “ You  must  buy  a horse  at  once,  my 
young  man,  and  one  that  I select.” 

“ All  right,”  replied  von  Seydlitz  with  good  humour, 
“ bring  him  up  to  the  Inn,  where  I can  look  him  over.” 
The  Nobleman  grew  purple  in  the  face. 

“ Bring  him  up  to  the  Inn,  you  say?”  he  sputtered. 
“ Not  by  a jug  full.  You  must  see  him  here  and  see  him  at 
once.” 

“ I will  see  you  first  in  the  hottest  place  in  the  world,” 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


179 


cried  the  Prussian,  drawing  his  sword,  and  in  a few 
moments  he  and  the  Pole  were  engaged  in  a furious  en- 
counter. Up  and  down  the  road  they  fought,  until,  by  a 
skillful  thrust,  the  bold  Prussian  laid  bare  the  cheek  of  the 
Nobleman,  who  — realizing  that  he  had  met  his  match  — - 
fled  towards  his  own  home.  Von  Seydlitz  pursued  him 
for  some  distance  and  then  let  him  go. 

“ Now,  if  any  one  else  in  this  town  wishes  to  insult  a 
Prussian  officer,”  he  called  out,  “ Let  him  come  to  my 
Inn,  where  I will  give  him  all  the  satisfaction  he  wishes, 
with  a pistol.” 

An  Armenian  was  there,  at  that  time,  with  a number  of 
horses  for  sale  which  were  very  wild  and  fierce.  In  spite 
of  this,  he  had  a high  price  upon  them  and  would  not  sell 
for  less.  Von  Seydlitz  accosted  him  one  day  when  dressed 
in  his  old  clothes  and  offered  to  ride  these  untamed  ani- 
mals. “ That  you  cannot  do,”  said  the  Armenian,  “ but 
I will  give  you  all  the  opportunity  that  you  desire.”  At 
this  von  Seydlitz  sprung  upon  the  back  of  one  of  the  horses, 
and,  although  the  steed  endeavoured  to  unseat  him,  he  clung 
to  him  like  a leech.  Climbing  from  his  back  he  soon  con- 
quered another  and  brought  him  back  to  the  starting  place 
with  so  much  ease  that  the  Armenian  was  delighted.  “ I 
will  give  you  two  hundred  ducats  and  a horse  if  you  will 
enter  my  service  as  a groom,”  he  said.  “ That  I cannot 
do,”  replied  the  Prussian,  “ for  I am  a Captain  in  the  army 
of  Frederick  the  Great.”  At  this  the  horse-dealer  had,  of 
course,  to  withdraw  his  flattering  terms,  but  he  sold  him  a 
beautiful  animal  at  a very  low  figure.  “ For,”  said  he, 
“ You  are  the  grandest  rider  my  eyes  ever  gazed  upon.” 

The  good  opinion  which  King  Frederick  had  of  him  was 


180  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


shown  by  the  present  of  a beautiful  Turkish  sword  which 
he  gave  to  the  young  officer  in  order  to  spur  him  on  to 
further  endeavour.  Seeing  this  appreciation  by  his 
sovereign,  von  Seydlitz  tried  to  achieve  great  things  and 
was  so  earnest  and  zealous  that  his  regiment  was  soon 
known  to  be  the  best  among  all  the  Hussars.  Never  de- 
manding anything  from  his  men  which  he  himself  would 
not  do,  he  had  only  the  greatest  adoration  from  his  soldiers. 
He  taught  them  to  ride  without  stirrups  and  to  stand  erect 
or  lie  down  upon  their  horses  when  on  the  full  gallop. 
They  were  forced  to  jump  fences,  hedges,  ditches,  and  to 
slide  down  hills,  so  that  whatever  obstacles  they  came 
across  on  the  battle-field,  they  would  be  equal  to  surmount 
them.  All  the  other  Prussian  cavalry  regiments  found  a 
model  for  correct  deportment  in  his  troop.  He  was  a great 
huntsman  and  when  not  in  an  active  campaign  kept  a pack 
of  deer  and  fox  hounds  which  afforded  him  and  his  friends 
the  greatest  possible  pleasure  and  kept  them  in  good  trim 
for  active  service. 

In  1753  von  Seydlitz  was  sent  to  Silesia  in  command  of  a 
Cuirassier  Regiment  and  was  soon  engaged  in  a spirited 
campaign  with  the  Austrians  and  Saxons,  — the  enemies 
of  Prussia.  At  the  battle  of  Lowositz  a heavy  fog  covered 
the  field,  but  in  spite  of  this,  King  Frederick  determined  to 
charge  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  Sending  for  von  Seydlitz 
he  asked  him  if  he  were  ready  to  move.  “ Yes,  your 
Majesty,”  said  the  courageous  but  clear-headed  cavalry- 
man, “ but  if  I do  the  cannon  will  soon  rout  us.” 

“ Never  mind  the  cannon,”  said  Frederick,  “ charge  as 
I direct  you.” 

So  in  three  columns  the  Prussian  horse  thundered 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


181 


down  upon  the  Austrian  line  and  were  soon  engaged  with 
twenty-five  squadrons  of  the  enemy.  A terrific  encounter 
ensued  in  which  the  cavalry  of  the  foe  was  beaten  back  into 
the  river  by  a furious  charge  led  by  von  Seydlitz  in  person. 
Finding  that  many  horses  were  stuck  in  the  mud,  the  Prus- 
sian artillery  soon  unlimbered  and  played  upon  their  help- 
less riders.  Meanwhile  the  cuirassiers  of  the  brave  von 
Seydlitz  charged  across  a stone  bridge  and  so  broke  up  the 
infantry  of  the  enemy  that  the  entire  army  retreated  and 
victory  perched  upon  the  banner  of  Frederick  the  Great. 
After  the  defeat  the  King  left  some  troops  to  watch  the 
Austrians  and  himself  attacked  the  Saxons  — their  allies. 
They,  too,  were  defeated,  and  so  the  Prussian  army  went 
into  winter  quarters  in  Saxony  — all  ready  to  renew  the 
war  as  soon  as  Spring  would  break. 

In  the  advance  into  Bohemia  in  1757,  von  Seydlitz 
was  with  the  troops  under  Prince  Maurice  of  Anhalt 
Dessau,  who  pushed  forward  to  the  city  of  Prague.  Old 
Ziethen  — the  Prussian  War  Horse  — commanded  the 
advance,  and,  as  a special  favour  from  the  King,  the 
gallant,  young  Prussian  was  allowed  to  serve  under  Fred- 
erick’s beloved  cavalryman.  Ordered  by  Prince  Maurice 
to  make  a dtftour  over  the  river  Maldau  and  to  fall  upon 
the  enemy’s  rear,  while  Frederick  was  battling  near 
Prague,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  have  no  pontoons  with 
which  to  cross  the  river,  and  so  had  to  watch  the  fleeing 
enemy,  in  disgust,  as  they  struggled  upon  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  stream. 

Overcome  with  impatience,  the  courageous  von  Seydlitz 
wished  to  swim  the  river  with  his  troops,  but  he  was  told 
that  the  strength  of  the  current  and  the  quicksands,  made 


182  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


such  an  undertaking  impossible.  To  test  this  information 
he,  himself,  plunged  into  the  stream,  but  his  life  was  imper- 
illed by  the  attempt,  for  he  sank  into  the  quicksand  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  treacherous  bog  was  soon  up  to  his  pistol 
holsters.  Seeing  his  predicament,  his  men  rushed  to  his 
aid,  and,  by  means  of  long  poles,  soon  had  him  safe  upon 
the  bank,  while  his  poor  horse  sank  into  the  dangerous 
mire  and  was  killed. 

In  spite  of  the  victory  which  Frederick  the  Great  won 
over  the  Austrians  at  Prague,  he  later  suffered  a severe 
defeat  at  Kolin.  Then  a succession  of  misfortunes  burst 
over  the  head  of  the  Prussian  King,  — the  Russians  broke 
through  the  eastern  frontier,  the  Swedes  marched  upon 
Berlin,  while  the  French  beat  his  allies,  the  English,  in 
Saxony.  It  is  said  that  the  iron  Frederick  meditated 
suicide  so  greatly  was  he  menaced  by  disaster ; but  soon 
a change  came  in  his  fortunes,  and,  when  the  Russian  in- 
vasion was  ended,  through  the  illness  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth,  the  King  took  heart  again  and  invaded  Saxony 
with  twenty  thousand  men.  At  Rossbach  he  overwhelmed 
the  Imperial  army  with  three  times  his  force.  The  unusual 
excellence  of  his  cavalry  gave  him,  at  this  time,  the  idea  of 
arming  his  men  with  guns,  or  carbines,  and  so  successful 
were  they  with  their  weapons  that  the  entire  military  world 
adopted  this  form  of  armament. 

Von  Seydlitz  was  now  a Major-General,  at  thirty-six 
years  of  age,  and  when  receiving  this  advancement  after 
the  battle  of  Kolin,  he  laughed,  and  said  to  the  King, 
“ Well,  your  Majesty,  it  is  about  time  that  I have  done 
something,  for  I am  thirty-six  years  of  age.” 

At  Rossbach  a Captain  in  one  of  the  cavalry  troops  had 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


183 


ahorse  that  shied  so  that  it  continually  got  in  the  way  of  his 
comrades.  General  von  Seydlitz  saw  the  actions  of  this 
animal  and  became  very  much  irritated  because  the  officer 
could  not  control  him.  Putting  spurs  to  his  own  steed, 
he  galloped  up  to  the  Captain,  and  thundered,  “ Sir,  you 
are  a nuisance  and  disgrace  to  the  sendee,  for  you  cannot 
manage  your  own  horse.  Go  to  the  Devil ! ” The  officer 
was  so  mortified  at  this  rebuke  that  he  pulled  out,  galloped 
to  the  rear,  and  was  never  again  seen  in  the  army. 

In  this  fight  von  Seydlitz  invented  a formation  called 
Von  Seydlitz’s  formation,  — which  consisted  of  charging 
with  two  divisions  of  cavalry  instead  of  three.  With  this 
disposition  he  rushed  against  the  French  lines  of  cavalry 
— after  raising  his  pipe,  which  he  was  peacefully  smoking, 
as  the  sign  of  attack  — and  so  completely  broke  the 
enemy  that  they  retreated  to  Unstrutt.  The  French 
horsemen  were  not  seen  again  that  day,  and  von  Seydlitz, 
who  followed  them,  found  himself  in  the  rear  of  the 
French  infantry.  Immediately  falling  upon  the  flank,  he 
bore  all  before  him,  when  he  received  a serious  wound  in 
the  arm,  which  stopped  his  attack.  But  after  the  flow  of 
blood  had  been  quenched  by  means  of  a heavy  bandage, 
he  once  more  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  regiment 
and  again  attacked.  This  time  the  French  lines  wavered 
and  broke,  leaving  three  thousand  dead  upon  the  field  of 
battle  and  five  thousand  prisoners  in  King  Frederick’s 
hands.  Five  French  Generals  fell  also  into  the  clutches  of 
the  Prussian  Monarch. 

Seldom  was  a battle  so  quickly  and  conclusively  won 
and  seldom  was  one  heralded  so  far  as  one  of  the  greatest 
of  German  victories.  In  France  the  shame  of  the  defeat 


184  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


was  considered  a court,  and  not  a national,  humiliation, 
while  everyone  was  envious  of  King  Frederick.  After  him, 
the  French  considered  von  Seydlitz  the  best  soldier  of  the 
Prussians,  and  one  Frenchman  remarked,  “ That  boy  was 
born  a General ! ” For  his  services  in  this  victory  he  re- 
ceived the  Order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  since  then  never 
given  to  a Major-General,  and,  a few  days  later,  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General.  To  have 
reached  the  position  of  Lieutenant-General  from  the  grade 
of  “ Oberst,”  or  Colonel,  in  half  a year,  was  unprecedented, 
and  many  Lieutenant-Generals,  after  long  years  of  arduous 
service,  have  never  received  this  reward.  For  this  show 
of  his  Emperor’s  good  will  he  was  duly  grateful,  nor  was 
he  too  much  inflated  by  his  wonderful  success.  He  felt 
that  what  he  had  received  had  been  justly  won  and  that 
what  he  had  gained  belonged  to  him  by  right  of  strenuous 
effort. 

As  the  wound  which  the  brilliant  cavalryman  had  re- 
ceived in  the  recent  battle  was  quite  serious,  he  remained 
in  Leipsic  during  the  next  campaign,  which  resulted  in  the 
victory  at  Leuthen,  in  Silesia,  for  King  Frederick’s  arms. 
The  immediate  result  of  these  two  victories  was  the  re- 
capture of  Silesia,  now  overrun  by  the  Austrians,  and  the 
exaltation  of  Frederick  to  the  greatest  fame.  The  English 
Parliament  voted  him  an  enormous  sum  of  money  and 
London  was  illuminated  in  his  honour.  Soon  after  this, 
von  Seydlitz  was  able  to  join  his  own  army  and  fought  as 
well  as  ever  before. 

At  the  battle  of  Zorndorf  nearly  all  the  cavalry  was  under 
the  direction  of  the  great  cavalryman,  and  to  him  Frederick 
dispatched  a message  saying,  “ Attack  in  half  an  hour  and 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


185 


furiously.”  But  von  Seydlitz  did  not  feel  that  a charge 
would  be  successful,  and  so  replied,  by  messenger,  “ I 
cannot  do  it,  but  I will  justify  myself  after  the  battle.”  At 
this  the  King  was  violently  angry.  “ You  will  have  to 
answer  for  this  reply  with  your  head,”  he  scribbled  on  a 
piece  of  paper  and  dispatched  by  a rider.  But  this  did 
not  seem  to  worry  the  brave  and  dashing  leader  of  horse. 
“ After  the  battle  my  head  will  be  at  the  King’s  orders,”  he 
replied,  “ but  during  the  battle  I trust  that  he  will  allow 
me  to  use  it  to  the  best  of  my  advantage  in  his  service.” 
Frederick  made  no  answer  to  this  final  message,  but 
furiously  advanced  upon  the  enemy.  His  reception  was 
carefully  watched  by  the  crafty  von  Seydlitz,  and  when  he 
saw  that  the  time  had  come  for  his  men  to  advance,  he 
cried,  “ The  battle  is  lost,  my  soldiers,  and  I do  not  wish 
any  man  to  follow  me  unless  he  so  wishes.  But  everyone 
who  thinks  that  a charge  will  win  the  day  let  him  follow 
me  to  the  rescue  of  the  King.” 

“ No  battle  has  ever  yet  been  lost,”  answered  one  of  his 
Generals,  “ When  the  Garde  de  Corps  has  attacked.” 

“ All  right,”  again  cried  the  gallant  von  Seydlitz.  “My 
children,  follow  me  ! ” 

“ We  follow,”  answered  all  the  troops,  and  with  bugles 
blowing  the  charge,  they  precipitated  themselves  with  a 
yell  of  fury  upon  the  opposing  line,  breaking  it  into  shreds, 
and  turning  defeat  into  victory.  It  was  the  very  moment 
for  which  Seydlitz  had  waited  when  he  had  replied  so 
tartly  to  the  King. 

After  this  bloody  affair  Frederick  sent  for  his  self- 
reliant  cavalryman  and  embraced  him  warmly  upon  the 
field  of  battle.  “ I was  wrong,  my  General,”  he  said- 


186  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ You  have  won  the  day  for  me  by  your  excellent  good 
judgment.”  And  the  fiery  Hussar  was  delighted. 

Von  Seydlitz  never  rode  large  horses,  but  only  those  with 
light  forequarters  and  strong  hind  legs  which  were  light, 
active  and  ready  to  go  quickly.  On  one  occasion  a soldier 
presented  him  with  a big  Holsteiner,  saying,  “ Here,  my 
General,  is  a nag  that  will  carry  you  through  thick  and 
thin.” 

“ I don’t  like  his  looks,”  said  the  cavalry  leader. 

“ Ah,  but  try  him,  my  dear  sir,”  the  soldier  replied, 
“ and  you  will  find  that  he  is  the  best  horse  you  ever 
mounted.” 

So,  rather  reluctantly,  the  celebrated  cavalryman 
accepted  the  charger  and  soon  rode  him  during  a skirmish. 
In  this  he  was  hotly  pursued  by  the  Austrians,  and  riding 
his  big  Holsteiner  down  a hill,  he  crashed  through  the  bed 
of  a stream  in  order  to  escape.  As  he  crossed  the  water 
the  ponderous  war-horse  stuck  in  the  mire ; Von  Seydlitz 
was  sucked  beneath  the  surface  of  the  stream  and  was 
held  to  his  animal  by  a caught  stirrup.  But  he  extricated 
himself,  came  up  to  the  surface,  and  swimming  to  the 
other  bank  there  climbed  upon  the  shore  and  escaped  by 
running  rapidly  away.  Never  again  would  he  ride  a horse 
of  goodly  proportions. 

The  third  campaign  of  King  Frederick  was  now  in 
progress,  and  at  Kunersdorf  in  Germany,  he  was  badly 
whipped  by  the  Russians,  who  had  again  taken  the  field 
against  him.  In  the  midst  of  the  battle,  the  King  of  Prus- 
sia exposed  himself  recklessly  among  the  balls  and  pro- 
jectiles, and,  was  in  such  imminent  danger  of  death,  that 
von  Seydlitz  rode  up  to  him,  and  saluting,  said,  “ Don’t 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


187 


place  yourself  in  so  much  danger,  my  Sovereign.”  Fred- 
erick looked  at  him  with  an  icy  stare.  “ The  gnats  are 
only  biting,”  he  replied. 

Shortly  after  this  the  Prussian  horse  courageously 
attacked  the  enemy,  and  von  Seydlitz  — while  riding  in 
advance  of  his  men  — was  struck  by  a ball  and  badly 
disabled.  Word  of  this  was  soon  brought  to  the  King, 
who  dispatched  a courier  to  him  to  ask  what  was  the 
matter.  “ Tell  the  King,”  said  the  gallant  cavalryman, 
“ that  only  a gnat  has  stung  me.” 

The  Prussians  laid  their  defeat  in  this  battle  to  the  fact 
that  von  Seydlitz  had  been  wounded,  while  he,  himself, 
had  been  adverse  to  charging  at  all  and  attributed  the  rout 
to  too  much  reckless  advancing.  His  wound  was  serious 
and  dangerous,  so  bad,  in  fact,  that  he  was  carried  to 
Berlin  to  recuperate.  The  King  had  a difficult  campaign 
before  him  and  it  was  hard  to  lose  his  able  leader.  He 
continually  wrote  to  him  from  the  front  and  kept  him  well 
informed  of  his  movements,  designs  and  plans  of  battle. 
Not  only  this,  but  presented  him  with  a beautiful,  Arabian 
charger  called  Tiger,  to  which  von  Seydlitz  became  so 
attached  that  he  had  his  portrait  painted  by  a celebrated 
artist. 

While  recovering  from  the  troubles,  arising  from  his 
wounds,  the  spirited  cavalry  leader  fell  into  another  serious 
difficulty  which  was  more  dangerous  than  a sabre  cut. 
This  was  an  attachment  for  a young  girl  who  resided  near 
his  quarters  and  with  whom  he  became  so  enamoured  that 
he  wished  to  marry  her.  But  a strange  accident  put  an  end 
to  his  love  affair.  In  rising  from  the  piano,  one  day,  the 
object  of  his  affections  slipped  upon  the  polished  floor  and 


188  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


so  injured  her  foot  that  she  was  made  lame  for  life.  After 
this  curious  difficulty  she  refused  to  marry  brave  von  Seyd- 
litz,  saying  that  it  would  impede  a gallant  and  active  soldier 
to  be  tied  down  to  a cripple,  and  that  it  would  hinder  his 
advancement.  This  rebuff  did  not  seem  to  cool  the  ardour 
of  the  fiery  warrior,  or  to  dampen  his  desire  for  marriage  to 
another  lady.  In  a month  he  wrote  to  Frederick,  the  King, 

“ I implore  your  Majesty  to  allow  me  to  marry  young 
Countess  Hacke  on  the  day  before  I return  to  your 
army.  In  case  I should  be  wounded  again  I do  not  wish  to 
be  left  to  the  discretion  of  servants,  as  I have  been  before, 
but  this  is  not  the  only  reason  why  I wish  you  to  accede  to 
my  wish,  as  I love  the  lady  devotedly.  I hope  that  you 
will  grant  my  request,  and  believe  me,  Sire,  Your  devoted, 

Von  Seydlitz.” 

The  King  wrote  upon  the  back  of  this  epistle,  “ I wish 
you  joy,”  and  sent  it  back  immediately.  So  von  Seydlitz 
and  his  youthful  Countess  Hacke  — who  was  only  sixteen 
— were  quietly  married  in  Berlin.  The  good  General  was 
rather  the  worse  for  wear  at  the  bridal  ceremony,  as  his 
chin  was  so  hacked  by  sabre  thrusts  that  it  had  to  be  tied 
up  in  plaster,  while  his  right  arm  was  still  in  a sling. 

In  spite  of  this  domestic  joy  and  happiness  the  brave  war- 
rior began  to  pine  for  active  campaigning  and  soon  wished 
again  to  be  at  the  front.  He  wrote  several  letters  to  the 
King,  stating  his  desire,  but  his  sovereign  would  not  allow 
him  to  rejoin  his  troops  because  of  his  physical  condition ; 
a refusal  which  naturally  put  him  in  an  ill  humour . So  he 
was  sullenly  nursing  his  wrath  against  the  keen-minded 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


189 


Frederick,  when  the  enemy’s  forces  suddenly  made  a raid 
upon  Leipsic  and  attempted  to  carry  the  entrenchments 
which  were  outside  the  limits  of  the  city.  Von  Seydlitz 
arose  from  a sick  bed,  and,  with  two  or  three  Generals,  ha- 
stened to  man  the  earthworks  with  small  cannon,  and  began 
to  offer  a stout  defence  to  the  Austrian  invaders.  But  the 
defence  — though  spirited  — was  useless.  In  a short  time 
the  gallant  warrior  had  to  flee  for  his  life. 

Frederick  heard  of  his  activity  and  courage  with  the 
greatest  of  pleasure,  and,  in  1761,  there  was  apparently 
no  ill  will  between  him  and  his  badly  used-up  General  of 
horse,  for  he  wrote  to  him  from  Leipsic  in  a most  affec- 
tionate manner,  and  said,  “ My  dear  Lieutenant-General, 
I hear  with  great  pleasure  that  you  are  better  and  that 
you  will  soon  be  with  us.  I shall  be  very  glad  to  see  you 
as  soon  as  your  health  permits.”  But  it  was  a long  time 
before  the  battered  and  maimed  cavalry  leader  could  re- 
join his  forces,  and  when  he  did,  the  soldiers  welcomed 
him  with  so  much  enthusiasm  and  joy  that  tears  welled  to 
the  eyes  of  their  General,  as  he  rode  before  the  lines  of 
hussars  and  cuirassiers,  to  once  more  lead  them  to  battle 
and  victory. 

Frederick  was  soon  in  a desperate  situation  and  stood 
at  bay,  surrounded  by  a gigantic  host  of  his  enemies.  He 
made  one  tremendous  dash  to  Torgau,  where  he  won  a 
victory  that  saved  the  Prussian  monarchy  from  total 
annihilation.  But  he  had  to  retreat  to  the  heart  of  Silesia 
and  watch  his  foes  as  they  gathered  around,  like  wolves 
about  a wounded  elk.  The  outlook  was  indeed  discourag- 
ing for  him  : so  discouraging,  that  he  thought  of  putting  an 
end  to  his  own  life. 


190  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Von  Seydlitz  fought  valiantly  by  the  side  of  the  King, 
and  in  one  of  his  numerous  battles  would  have  been 
captured  with  all  his  staff  had  he  not  had  recourse  to  a ruse 
in  order  to  deceive  the  Austrians  of  his  own  weakness.  He 
had  about  thirty  officers  with  him  (when  surrounded  by 
the  enemy)  and  these  he  hastily  dismounted  and  formed 
into  parties  of  three  or  four,  in  order  to  make  the  Austrians 
believe  that  he  had,  with  him,  a strong  force  of  infantry. 
Craftily  scattering  his  men  over  a large  area,  he  so  com- 
pletely fooled  the  surrounding  troops,  that  they  withdrew 
in  order  to  get  further  strength,  and  so  allowed  him  to 
escape  in  safety. 

At  Freiberg  von  Seydlitz  even  took  charge  of  the  infantry, 
and  handled  this  branch  of  the  service  with  so  much  skill, 
that  he  carried  a strong  redoubt  with  the  foot-soldiers. 
The  battle  was  won  by  his  efforts,  and  soon,  through  the 
fortunate  death  of  Elizabeth  of  Russia,  the  Great  Seven 
Years’  War  came  to  a close.  Russia  offered  terms  of 
peace  and  Sweden  followed  her  example.  Then  came  the 
Peace  of  Paris  which  was  concluded  by  England  and 
France,  leaving  Austria  and  Prussia  to  fight  it  out  alone. 
However,  these  powers  also  signed  a treaty  of  peace,  and 
thus  ended  the  bloody  conflict  that  had  torn  the  very  vitals 
of  Germany  for  seven  years.  Prussia  still  held  Silesia,  a 
million  of  men  had  been  killed,  and  Frederick  found  him- 
self monarch  of  a wasted  land. 

When  the  army  was  disbanded,  many  of  the  soldiers 
had  no  means  of  earning  a livelihood,  and  von  Seydlitz  — 
being  made  General-Inspector-of- Cavalry  in  Silesia  — 
kept  a good  many  of  them  in  his  service,  purely  out  of 
kindness  of  heart.  The  King  gradually  put  the  rest  of  his 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


191 


soldiers  to  work  in  agricultural  pursuits,  although  there 
were  still  many  under  arms  which  his  Inspector  had  to 
look  after.  Like  Ziethen,  von  Seydlitz  never  took  any 
money,  or  plunder  for  himself,  during  the  war,  and  thus 
he  was  as  poor  a man  at  its  completion,  as  at  the  beginning. 
So  stern  was  he  that  his  common  soldiers  were  not  even 
allowed  to  plunder.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  leader  of 
cavalry  had  not  grown  wealthy  in  the  service,  he  had  a 
large  annual  income,  and  Frederick  gave  him  considerable 
sums  of  money,  from  time  to  time,  as  a token  of  his  esteem. 
He  was  also  allowed  to  cut  wood  in  the  kingly  reserve, 
which  was  a special  mark  of  royal  favour.  He  had  a 
charming  home ; his  wife  loved  company,  joyousness  and 
diversion.  She  entertained  lavishly,  but  he  — with 
soldierly  bluntness  — preferred  the  chase  and  hunting  to 
the  social  affairs  of  the  court,  and,  with  his  own  pack  of 
hounds,  spent  all  his  spare  moments  in  the  pleasures  of 
expeditions  in  quest  of  wolves,  deer,  and  foxes. 

Perhaps  this  famous  general  of  cavalry  was  the  most 
reckless  rider  that  has  ever  led  a charge,  or  dashed  into 
solid  phalanxes  of  the  enemy  at  the  head  of  his  men.  It 
was  thus  not  strange  that  such  dare-deviltry  should  end  in 
disaster,  and  so,  in  1775,  the  good  General  came  near 
quitting  the  world  for  all  time.  A fractious  horse  was  the 
cause  of  this,  for  von  Seydlitz  had  mounted  an  untamed 
brute  with  the  intention  of  rendering  him  tractable  for  a 
member  of  his  regiment.  But  the  animal  bucked ; reared; 
and  plunged  with  so  much  spirit,  that  the  reckless  rider 
was  unseated;  tossed  upon  his  head  on  a hard,  macad- 
amized road-bed ; and  rendered  unconscious.  King  Fred- 
erick was  near-by  when  this  accident  occurred,  and  galloped 


192  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


immediately  to  see  what  could  be  done  for  his  beloved 
cavalryman.  So  moved  was  he  by  the  sight  which  met  his 
eyes  that  he  turned  away,  in  tears,  as  the  limp  form  of  the 
unfortunate  soldier  was  carried  to  the  house  of  a physician. 
But  like  a cat,  — von  Seydlitz  seemed  to  be  possessed  of 
nine  lives.  He  soon  rallied ; regained  his  strength ; and 
pursued  his  desperate  riding  with  as  much  carelessness  as 
ever  before.  It  was  his  constant  practice  to  slip  between 
the  revolving  wings  of  the  numerous  windmills,  in  Silesia, 
and  no  soldier  in  his  regiment  could  remain,  who  refused 
to  follow  him  in  this  test  for  nerve  and  good  horsemanship. 

The  keen-eyed  leader-of-horse  noticed  all  the  imperfec- 
tions in  his  command  and  kept  his  soldiers  strictly  up  to  the 
mark.  Although  an  active  man,  he  never  lost  his  temper 
and  broke  out  into  screams  and  gesticulations,  wThen  angry, 
as  did  so  many  of  the  Prussian  officers.  One  day,  in  the 
battle  of  Freiberg,  he  became  impatient  and  testily  repri- 
manded one  of  his  officers ; but,  next  morning,  he  saw  that 
he  had  been  wrong  and  wrote  this  soldier  a note  saying,  “ I 
was  in  error  when  I scolded  you  in  yesterday’s  battle,  but 
if  you  wish  satisfaction  to-day,  I wall  give  it  to  you  in  a duel 
with  rapiers,  and  at  any  place  which  you  desire.” 

When  a young  officer  would  leave  his  command  without 
leave,  the  gallant  von  Seydlitz  would  pursue  him  across 
country  on  horseback,  — leaping  all  the  fences  that  came 
in  his  way  and  fording  all  the  streams  and  rivers.  If  the 
fleeing  one  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  outride  the 
irate  General,  he  would  receive  no  reprimand,  but  if  he 
were  to  be  caught,  he  would  suffer  the  severest  punishment 
for  this  breach  of  discipline.  Von  Seydlitz  hated  every 
feminine  trait  in  mankind  and  insisted  that  his  soldiers 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


193 


should  wear  hard,  starched  collars,  similar  to  those  worn 
by  the  peasantry.  If  his  men  appeared  in  silk  ones  he 
would  say,  “ I am  not  accustomed  to  have  lady-like  peo- 
ple at  my  table.”  King  Frederick,  himself,  disliked  the 
unmanly  in  a soldier,  and  spying,  one  day,  a muff  lying 
upon  his  table  (similar  to  those  which  some  men  were 
accustomed  to  carry  in  winter)  he  hurled  it  into  the  fire, 
thinking  that  it  belonged  to  von  Seydlitz.  But  it  happened 
to  be  the  property  of  the  Spanish  Ambassador,  who  flew 
into  a great  temper  over  the  incident,  and  von  Seydlitz  — 
with  great  vindictiveness  — was  never  tired  of  teasing  his 
King  about  this  sad  mistake.  He  was  good  to  the  young 
men  in  his  regiment  and  often  took  poor,  young  fellows 
into  his  service  and  helped  them  with  money,  if  they 
showed  the  proper  spirit  of  the  soldier.  As  soon  as  such  a 
person  entered  his  employ  he  would  place  him  upon  an 
untamed  horse  and  allow  it  to  run  away  with  him.  If  the 
rider  broke  his  neck,  it  was  never  spoken  of ; if  he  man- 
aged to  stick  on,  he  was  treated  like  a brother.  Thus  only 
men  of  nerve  and  courage  remained  in  the  regiment  of 
the  spirited  General  of  the  Prussian  horse. 

In  order,  one  day,  to  show  some  visitors  how  well  his 
soldiers  could  manoeuvre,  he  took  them  on  the  gallop  from 
the  market  place  into  the  middle  of  a river ; there  re-formed 
them ; and  brought  them  back  in  perfect  alignment.  The 
onlookers  were  amazed ; while  the  General  laughed  good- 
naturedly  at  their  praise ; thanked  his  soldiers  publicly  for 
their  fine  performance ; and  gave  all  of  his  officers  a ball  in 
token  of  his  esteem.  The  handsomest  and  most  high-born 
youths  of  Germany  and  foreign  countries  endeavoured  to 
get  places  in  his  regiment  of  hussars,  so  great  was  their 


194  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


fame ; and  so  well  did  they  appear  in  their  uniforms,  that 
it  was  whispered  that  they  allowed  their  breeches  to  dry 
on  them  in  order  to  mould  them  to  their  figures. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  long  struggle  for  Prussian 
independence,  von  Seydlitz  was  appointed  General-of- 
Cavalry,  — the  highest  position  which  a man  could  reach 
in  the  service  of  his  country.  When  the  Emperor  of  Aus- 
tria heard  of  this,  he  offered  to  take  the  gallant  soldier 
with  his  service,  but  to  this  flattering  request,  the  Prussian 
replied,  “ I have  no  master  but  one  and  he  is  the  Great 
Frederick.”  In  spite  of  this  patriotism  and  apparent  re- 
gard for  his  chief  there  was  often  a strained  relationship 
between  the  Prussian  monarch  and  himself,  for  the  King 
was  hasty  of  temper  and  often  very  fault-finding.  One  day 
he  became  quite  angry  and  said  to  von  Seydlitz,  with  some 
irritation,  “ I thought  your  men  knew  how  to  sit  a horse 
correctly.  I see,  my  General,  that  they  are  riding  with 
long  stirrups.”  “ They  are  riding  just  as  they  did  when 
they  won  the  day  for  you  at  Rossbach,”  replied  the  leader 
of  horse,  with  great  calmness,  “ and  I noticed  that  you  did 
not  then  criticize  their  ability  as  cavalrymen.”  The  King 
kept  silent  after  this. 

Frederick  was  accustomed  to  make  his  guests  at  table 
the  butt  of  his  wit,  but  von  Seydlitz  was  never  awed  by  his 
remarks  nor  was  he  ever  afraid  to  reply  to  them  and  speak 
his  own  mind.  One  day  some  beggars  besought  the  King 
for  some  money,  but  he  turned  them  away,  saying,  “ Be- 
gone, why  don’t  you  go  to  work?  You  ask  too  much  of 
me ! ” But  von  Seydlitz,  who  was  present,  saw  that  these 
were  old  soldiers,  and  remarked, 

“ Your  Majesty,  these  are  the  brave  fellows  who  gave 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM 


195 


you  victory.  Will  you  send  them  away  without  a 
penny?  ” 

Abashed  at  this  remark  the  King  gave  orders  to  have  a 
large  amount  immediately  distributed  among  the  poor 
wretches  who  had  asked  his  assistance  with  so  much 
fervour. 

In  spite  of  this  kindness  of  heart  the  Prussian  cavalry- 
man was  often  harsh  and  overbearing.  Once  he  asked  a 
certain  Bourgomaster  to  take  off  his  hat  to  him,  as  he  was 
smoking  at  a window.  The  citizen  refused,  and  the 
spirited  officer  shot  at  his  head  with  a carbine,  so  that  the 
unwilling  burgher  had  to  accede  to  his  request.  When 
Frederick  heard  of  it  he  said,  “ Von  Seydlitz,  you  act  like 
a school  boy.  Will  you  never  grow  up  ? ” “ No,  your 

Majesty,  I never  will,”  replied  the  General,  quite  humbly. 

Known  as  the  best  formed  man  in  all  the  cavalry  service, 
he  sat  his  horse  as  if  he  were  a part  of  it.  “ His  figure  alone, 
without  any  mind,  would  have  carried  his  cavalry  through 
the  lines  of  the  enemy,”  says  an  admirer.  His  face  was  not 
striking,  but  his  eyes  showed  courage  and  fire.  He  was  the 
best  horseman  of  his  time  and  of  strong  and  vigorous 
frame.  He  was  magnanimous,  fearless,  and  kind  to  the 
peasants,  whom  he  always  protected  from  his  brutal  soldiers. 
The  King  and  the  whole  army  had  the  greatest  affection 
for  their  dashing  and  fearless  leader  of  the  cuirassiers  and 
hussars. 

The  hero  of  the  battle  of  Rossbach  died  in  1773  in  the 
fifty-third  year  of  his  age,  and  — by  his  own  request  — he 
was  buried  upon  his  country  estate,  in  a sarcophagus 
designed  after  his  own  plans.  A black,  marble  table,  upon 
which  is  an  urn  and  a sleeping  lion,  marks  the  last  resting 


196  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


place  of  the  most  reckless  horseman,  the  most  peerless 
leader  of  cavalry,  and  one  of  the  most  ardent  patriots  that 
Prussia  has  ever  known.  His  deeds  of  daring  and  bravery 
will  always  thrill  the  hearts  of  those  who  love  to  hear  of  the 
exploits  of  a bold  and  resolute  man.  His  spirit  still  lives 
in  the  hearts  of  the  Prussian  cavalry. 


FRANCIS  MARION 


FRANCIS  MARION : THE  SWAMP  FOX 
[1732  — 1795] 

HE  Revolutionary  War  in  America  which  led  to 


the  independence  of  the  United  States,  was  mainly 


carried  on  by  armies  of  foot  soldiers.  There  were, 
however,  some  leaders  of  horse  whose  names  stand  out 
prominently  in  the  annals  of  those  stirring  times.  Of  the 
British  cavalry  leaders,  Banastre  Tarleton  was  the  most 
conspicuous  for  gallant  and  aggressive  action  in  the  field, 
and,  among  the  Americans,  “ Light-Horse-Harry  ” Lee, 
William  Washington,  and  Francis  Marion,  are  the  names 
which  shine  upon  the  pages  of  history,  and  the  records  of 
whose  brave  and  patriotic  services  to  their  respective 
countries,  still  thrill  the  readers  of  these  trying  campaigns. 

William  Washington  was  large,  strong  and  active.  He 
was  a cousin  of  General  George  Washington,  and,  in  many 
respects,  quite  resembled  his  relative.  Both  were  resolute 
and  determined  fighters.  “ Light-Horse-Harry  ” Lee  was 
bold,  daring,  and  impetuous.  His  record  is  one  of  worth. 
But  neither  of  these  men  was  as  much  beloved  and  re- 
spected by  his  followers  as  was  Francis  Marion,  nor  did  either 
of  them  so  richly  merit  the  praise  of  the  colonists.  Marion 
was  a veritable  genius  at  partisan  warfare ; a firm,  resolute 
and  honest  patriot;  a far-seeing  and  generous  leader  of 
light  horse,  and  a masterful  campaigner  among  the  cane- 


197 


198  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


brakes  and  river  bottoms  of  his  own  country.  One  cannot 
point  out  a defect  in  him,  noV  suggest  a single  good  quality 
which  he  did  not  possess.  He  was  the  true  warrior  of 
Romance,  the  warrior  “ Without  Fear  and  Without  Re- 
proach.” 

It  is  a curious  coincidence  that  General  Marion  and 
George  Washington  were  born  in  the  same  year.  Both 
were  Southerners  and  both  have  been  aptly  called,  “ noble 
thunderbolts  ” in  the  war  for  independence.  Marion’s 
father  was  a Carolinian  and  resided  in  St.  John’s  parish, 
South  Carolina.  His  grandfather  was  a Huguenot,  or  French 
Protestant,  who  had  lived  in  France  at  the  picturesque 
town  of  Rochelle,  during  the  reign  of  the  pleasure-loving 
and  voluptuous  monarch,  Louis  the  Fourteenth.  The  King 
was  by  faith  a Catholic,  and  when  he  abandoned  his  life 
of  gayety  for  pretended  devotion  to  the  Church,  he  was  led 
by  his  confessors,  and  by  the  celebrated  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  to  persecute  those  of  his  subjects  who  had 
adopted  the  Protestant  religion.  He  endeavoured  by 
force  to  bring  them  into  the  bosom  of  what  he  believed  to 
be  the  true  church. 

For  many  years  the  King  was  restrained  from  using 
harsh  measures  by  Colbert,  a minister  who  had  much  in- 
fluence at  court,  but,  after  this  worthy  man’s  death,  he 
deprived  the  Huguenots  of  most  of  their  civil  rights  and 
came  under  the  complete  control  of  three  counsellors  who 
were  in  favour  of  harsh  persecution.  Under  their  direction, 
bodies  of  dragoons  were  sent  into  the  provinces  south, 
where  the  Huguenots  were  most  numerous,  and  they  were 
compelled,  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  to  give  up  their 
faith. 


FRANCIS  MARION 


199 


In  spite  of  the  fact  that  King  Louis  guarded  the  frontier, 
more  than  fifty  thousand  Huguenots  fled  to  Switzerland, 
Germany,  Holland,  and  England.  Angered  at  the  refusal 
of  many  of  the  important  and  wealthy  Protestant  families 
to  renounce  their  faith,  he  revoked  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
Oct.  22nd,  1685,  which  was  an  act  giving  the  Protestants 
a right  to  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion  and  equal  claims 
with  the  Catholics  in  all  offices  and  dignities.  There  were 
still  more  than  half  a million  Protestants  in  France,  and 
this  unjust  and  unwise  decree  caused  many  of  the  wealthiest 
and  most  useful  inhabitants  to  leave  for  lands  more  distant 
than  England  and  Switzerland.  Some  emigrated  to  South 
Carolina  — among  them  the  grandfather  of  Francis 
Marion  — and  took  up  their  residence  in  the  province 
which  the  British  colonists  had  taken  possession  of  twenty 
years  before.  About  eighty  or  a hundred  families  — poor, 
destitute,  and  deprived  of  all  the  precious  possessions 
which  had  once  been  theirs  — settled  at  plantations  on  the 
banks  of  the  Santee  River  and  soon  prospered  in  that  rich 
and  fruitful  country.  They  had  fled  from  persecution; 
conquered  a wilderness ; and  had  driven  the  hostile  Indians 
from  the  coast.  No  wonder  the  youthful  Marion  inherited 
an  intrepid  and  daring  spirit  from  his  forbears. 

It  is  said  that  little  Marion  was  so  weak  and  puny  as  a 
child  that  he  was  not  expected  to  live.  A chronicler  of  the 
period  says  that  he  looked  “ like  a New  England  Lobster.” 
This  weakness  clung  to  him  through  early  life,  and  yet  we 
have  no  evidence  of  a lack  of  spirit,  for  at  twelve  he  desired 
to  go  to  sea,  in  spite  of  his  meagre  frame  and  lack  of  bodily 
strength.  After  much  hesitation  on  the  part  of  his  parents, 
he  was  allowed  to  set  sail  upon  a vessel  bound  for  the  West 


200  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Indies.  All  went  well  until  within  a day’s  trip  of  the  port 
they  aimed  for,  when,  suddenly,  and  without  warning,  the 
ship  ran  upon  what  seemed  to  be  a sunken  ledge.  There 
was  a great  splitting  of  timber,  and  all  hands  rushed  on 
deck  to  find  that  it  was  a curious  rock  indeed  upon  which 
they  had  struck,  for  it  was  the  back  of  a huge  whale,  which 
was  infuriated  by  the  blow  and  lashed  the  water  into  foam 
with  its  tail.  The  schooner  — for  such  she  was  — was 
badly  damaged,  and  soon  the  wrater  rushed  through  the 
torn  and  shattered  bow.  The  captain,  crew,  and  pas- 
sengers took  to  the  life -boats,  and,  so  suddenly  did  the 
vessel  go  down,  that  there  was  no  opportunity  to  get  food 
or  water  for  the  ship-wrecked  men.  For  three  days  they 
tossed  about  beneath  the  torrid  heat  of  the  sun,  and  then, 
overcome  by  the  fiercest  hunger,  fed  upon  the  remains  of  a 
little,  cabin  dog  which  had  swum  to  them  from  the 
schooner,  just  as  she  had  gone  down.  This  alleviated 
their  suffering  but  little,  and  soon,  nearly  all  the  unhappy 
cast-aways  were  crazed  for  lack  of  water.  On  the  tenth 
day  the  Captain  and  Mate  leaped  overboard  in  their  frenzy, 
and,  scarcely  had  their  bodies  disappeared  from  view, 
when  a full- rigged  ship  hove  in  sight  and  came  quickly  to 
the  rescue. 

As  soon  as  the  hardy  sailors  came  up  to  the  exhausted  boat- 
load, they  found  that  little  Marion  was  a veritable  skeleton. 
He  was  so  weak  that  he  could  not  stir  hand  or  foot  in  order 
to  climb  up  the  vessel’s  side.  But,  he  was  lifted  aboard  by 
two  stout  seamen,  and,  with  care  and  nourishment,  soon 
regained  his  past  spirits.  In  fact  this  episode  seems  to 
have  benefited  him,  for,  after  this  his  frame  commenced  a 
second  and  more  rapid  growth.  He  developed  into  a 


FRANCIS  MARION 


201 


strong  and  healthy  youth  and  occupied  himself  in  assisting 
his  father  in  fhe  management  of  the  plantation,  where  much 
of  his  time  was  spent  on  horseback.  Thus  he  became 
well  used  to  the  saddle  and  could  ride  with  the  greatest 
skill  and  ease ; an  accomplishment  that  was  of  inestimable 
value  in  after  years. 

Just  as  George  Washington  was  accustomed  to  frontier 
fighting  before  the  outbreak  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Marion  had  also  seen  service  in  two  Indian  campaigns 
before  he  took  up  arms  against  Great  Britain.  The 
campaigns  were  attended  with  danger,  difficulty,  and 
hardship,  which  were  circumstances  well  calculated  to  fit 
him  for  the  peculiar  duties  of  a leader  of  partisan  cavalry, — 
the  role  which  he  was  soon  to  play  in  the  great  struggle  for 
American  Independence. 

In  the  interior  of  the  Carolinas  were  the  homes  of  the 
Cherokee  Indians,  and  during  the  year  1759  they  began  a 
series  of  attacks  against  the  settlers  of  the  Carolina  frontier. 
At  this  time  the  French  nation  was  at  war  with  England 
for  the  possession  of  America,  and  already  there  had  been 
fierce  fighting  at  Fort  Duquesne,  where  now  is  the  city  of 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  The  French  colonists  posed  as 
friends  of  the  Indians.  They  continually  stimulated  them 
to  hatred  of  the  English. 

A messenger  dispatched  from  the  frontier  to  Lyttleton  — 
the  English  governor  of  the  Province  of  North  Carolina  — 
warned  him  of  the  impending  danger  to  the  settlers  of  this 
part  of  America,  and  directed  him  to  gather  the  militia  for 
defence.  Francis  Marion  was  one  of  the  volunteers  who 
joined  the  Governor’s  army,  serving  in  a company  of 
cavalry  under  the  command  of  his  brother.  The  Indian 


202  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


uprising  was  soon  put  under,  and  a deputation  of  chiefs, 
with  wampum  belts  and  much  solemn  talk,  made  a treaty 
of  peace  with  the  good-natured  Governor,  who  thought 
them  sincere.  The  troops  were,  of  course,  sent  home,  but 
two  years  later  war  broke  out  afresh,  and  atrocities  wrere 
perpetrated  which  were  far  more  hideous  than  those  which 
had  before  occurred.  Again  the  militia  was  called  out  to 
defend  the  State,  and  again  Marion  took  up  the  profession 
of  arms  with  twelve  hundred  other  provincials.  The 
Indians  were  no  match  for  these  determined  soldiers,  and, 
after  many  bloody  skirmishes,  peace  -was  again  declared. 
Twenty  Indian  towns  had  been  burned  to  the  ground. 

This  training  in  frontier  fighting  proved  of  great  value  to 
Marion.  He  learned  to  skirmish  in  Indian  fashion  and  to 
be  at  home  in  the  tangled  swamps  and  wildernesses  of  his 
State.  Even  in  the  heat  of  successful  campaigns  — such 
as  these  had  been  — he  here  displayed  that  sympathy  for 
people  in  distress  that  was  to  make  him  so  honoured  and 
revered  in  after  years.  We  have  a clear  proof  of  this 
gracious  spirit  in  a letter  to  a friend  which  has  been  pre- 
served since  the  time  of  its  writing.  Marion  gives  the  de- 
scription of  the  burning  of  an  Indian  village,  and  says, 
“ When  we  are  gone,  thought  I,  the  Indians  will  return, 
and  peeping  through  the  weeds  with  tearful  eyes,  will 
mark  the  ghastly  ruin  poured  over  their  homes  and  happy 
fields. 

“ Who  did  this  ? ” the  little  children  will  ask  their 
mothers. 

“ The  white  people  did  it,”  the  mothers  will  reply. 
“ The  Christians  did  it.” 

“ Thus  for  the  sake  of  greed,”  he  continues,  “ the  fob 


FRANCIS  MARION 


203 


lowers  of  Christ  have  sown  the  cursed  tares  of  hatred  in 
the  bosoms  even  of  pagan  children.”  Certainly  this  shows 
a spirit  of  forbearance  and  gentleness  which  one  would  not 
expect  in  a man  of  Marion’s  daring  and  fighting  power. 
It  was  this  charitable  nature  which  made  him  loved  and 
honoured  by  all  men. 

But  soon  the  war  for  independence  was  to  call  forth  the 
best  that  Marion  could  give.  When  a vessel  direct  from 
Boston  to  Charleston,  in  May,  1775,  brought  news  of  the 
brave  fight  which  the  Colonials  had  made  at  Lexington,  the 
whole  country  was  in  a flame  of  patriotic  enthusiasm  for 
war.  The  legislature  of  the  Province  of  Carolina  was 
hastily  convened ; two  regiments  were  immediately  raised 
for  purposes  of  defence ; and  Marion  was  appointed  to  the 
place  of  Captain  in  the  second  regiment,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  William  Moultrie.  It  was  difficult  to  raise  men,  but 
soon  the  full  quota  had  been  gathered.  Although  there 
was  no  money  to  pay  them  with,  and  few  cutlasses  and 
guns  with  which  to  properly  arm  the  command,  the  soldiers 
fell  to  work  with  a will  in  order  to  strengthen  and  man  the 
fortifications  in  the  harbour’s  mouth,  for  they  knew  that  a 
British  fleet  would  soon  be  sent  against  them. 

Of  course  there  was  trouble  with  some  of  the  men  who 
had  little  stomach  for  war,  and  one,  — a young  and  gay 
Lieutenant,  had  taste  of  the  discipline  of  Capt.  Marion’s 
tongue  which  lasted  him  through  life.  This  youthful 
soldier  was  vain,  fond  of  dress,  and  not  inclined  to  follow 
the  dull  routine  of  a soldier’s  life.  He  had  served  under  a 
number  of  Captains  who  had  all  dubbed  him  a worthless 
sort  of  a fellow  with  whom  it  was  impossible  to  get  along, 
and  one  whose  tastes  were  vulgar  and  low.  But  the  Lieu- 


204  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


tenant  thought  himself  an  amazingly  clever  person,  and 
openly  boasted  that  he  would  soon  show  the  command  that 
he  would  get  the  better  of  Captain  Marion. 

Not  long  after  this,  there  was  an  opportunity  to  test  his 
superior  officer’s  mettle,  for  the  news  was  brought  to  camp 
that  there  would  be  a great  cock  fight  in  a small  town, 
near-by.  The  Lieutenant’s  childish  spirits  were  naturally 
in  a veritable  fever  of  excitement,  but,  how  could  he  obtain 
leave  of  absence  in  order  to  witness  this  fierce  encounter  ? 
After  thinking  it  over  for  some  time,  he  finally  hit  upon  an 
idea.  It  was  to  tell  a deliberate  falsehood  and  thus  gain 
what  he  desired.  So  he  went  to  Marion  with  a sorrowful 
face  and  stated  that  his  father,  to  whom  he  was  devoted, 
was  upon  his  death-bed,  and  had  sent  word  that  he  wished 
to  see  him  before  he  died.  He  therefore  asked  permission 
to  go  and  visit  his  parent. 

“ To  be  sure,  Lieutenant,”  replied  Marion,  to  this 
request.  “ Go,  by  all  means,  go  and  see  your  father  in  his 
desperate  illness,  but  return  as  soon  as  you  can,  for  you  see 
and  know  that  we  have  more  than  we  can  possibly  do. 
Every  man,  at  this  time,  is  needecf.” 

Apparently  overjoyed  and  quite  surprised  at  Marion’s 
generosity,  the  Lieutenant  thanked  him  profusely,  and 
informed  him  that  he  would  be  back  in  two  days,  or,  at  the 
latest,  in  three.  As  he  went  out,  he  made  it  plain  to  some 
of  the  officers  that  he  had  achieved  a grand  exploit,  and  so 
irritated  them  with  his  effrontery,  that  they  informed  the 
Captain  of  this  shallow  trick.  And  so  it  turned  out  to  be, 
for  the  young  Lieutenant  made  no  pretext  of  visiting  his 
father,  but  hid  in  the  city  until  time  for  the  cock  fight  to 
come  off.  Even  then  he  did  not  return  to  his  command 


FRANCIS  MARION 


205 


until  a fortnight  had  elapsed,  and,  then,  as  he  entered  the 
officers’  mess  where  Marion  was  seated,  he  began  to  bow 
and  scrape  with  the  utmost  civility.  Marion  turned  his 
head  away  as  if  he  were  not  aware  of  his  presence.  This 
made  the  Lieutenant  uneasy  and  be  began  to  apologize. 

“ I am  sorry,  sir,  to  have  outstayed  my  time  so  long,”  he 
said.  “ But  — but  — I could  not  help  it  — and  now  I have 
returned  to  my  duty.” 

The  effect  upon  Marion  was  only  too  apparent,  and  a 
number  of  officers  who  had  entered  looked  on  with  interest, 
for  they  knew  of  the  character  of  this  fellow.  Captain 
Marion  turned  full  upon  the  stammering  Lieutenant,  and, 
speaking  in  the  chilliest  tone  which  he  could  command, 
replied,  “ Aye,  Lieutenant,  is  that  you  ? Well,  never  mind 
it  — there  was  no  harm  done  — I never  missed  you.” 

It  was  indeed  sufficient  punishment.  The  poor  Lieu- 
tenant was  abashed  and  mortified  beyond  words.  He 
sneaked  away  with  his  head  down,  and  in  a most  uncom- 
fortable frame  of  mind ; while  the  derisive  laughter  of  his 
fellow  officers  made  the  blow  seem  more  severe.  Never 
again  did  he  trespass  upon  the  good-will  of  his  superior. 

Living  in  a lawless  age,  when  men  were  rough,  uncouth, 
and  boisterous,  Marion  retained  great  delicacy  of  feeling, 
cultivated  tastes,  and  scrupulous  honesty.  He  moved  in  a 
sphere  of  his  own,  and,  like  the  great  George  Washington, 
appeared  to  be  more  noble  and  spiritual  than  those  about 
him.  He  seemed  to  be  free  from  the  usual  frailties  to 
which  other  men  give  way.  He  was  above  the  common 
faults  and  vanities  of  life.  This  was  what  gave  him  his 
great  power  over  men,  and,  although  the  British  soon 
captured  Charleston  and  Savannah ; through  the  strength 


206  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


of  his  own  personality,  and  by  his  own  patriotic  example, 
he  was  able  to  collect  about  him  a small  body  of  trusty 
adherents  who  swore  that  they  would  all  perish  rather  than 
submit  to  the  English  rule. 

At  the  time  when  Marion  first  began  to  act  as  an  inde- 
pendent commander  the  outlook  for  the  Colonials  was 
indeed  a dark  one.  It  was  true  that  General  Burgoyne,  with 
a large  British  force,  had  capitulated  at  Saratoga,  and  that 
Washington  had  had  some  success  at  Germantown  and 
Monmouth.  But,  in  the  North  the  British  were  confident  of 
victory  against  the  ragged  Continentals,  who  were  being 
held  to  their  work  by  grim  determination  of  George  Wash- 
ington and  a few  staunch  patriots  in  the  service.  There 
was  little  money  to  pay  the  army  with,  and  the  green-backs, 
or  “ continentals  ” which  were  used  for  currency,  were  so 
worthless,  that  a man  in  Boston  papered  his  room  with 
them.  The  expression,  “ not  worth  a continental,”  was  a 
sad  and  bitter  truth. 

In  the  South,  things  had  come  to  a sorry  pass.  The 
British,  under  the  command  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  spread 
themselves  over  the  country,  and  although  this  army,  at 
first,  consisted  of  but  three  thousand  men,  it  was  sufficient 
to  terrorize  the  unresisting  inhabitants.  The  English 
plundered  the  plantations;  harassed  those  who  favoured 
the  Colonial  cause ; set  free  their  slaves ; and  burned  their 
homes.  The  American  army  — save  for  the  handful 
of  men  which  Marion  had  with  him  — had  melted  away 
after  the  capture  of  Savannah.  But  the  scattered  remnant 
of  the  Carolinian  forces  that  had  defended  Charleston  and 
Savannah,  were  gathered  together  to  make  further  resist- 
ance, when  General  Gates  was  dispatched  South  by 


FRANCIS  MARION 


207 


General  Washington.  With  him  were  some  Continental 
troops  and  some  militia.  Cornwallis  met  him  at  Camden 
and  utterly  routed  his  command,  which  placed  the  Ameri- 
can cause,  at  this  time,  in  a most  desperate  situation. 

It  was  for  General  Marion,  in  this  dark  hour,  to  keep 
alive  the  spark  of  patriotic  enthusiasm,  and,  although 
commander  of  but  thirty  men  at  first,  a few  successful  raids 
gave  courage  to  the  many  ardent  patriots  who  laboured 
assiduously  for  the  cause  of  American  independence. 
Marion  waged  a spirited  and  relentless  warfare  on  what- 
ever detachments  of  British  troops  were  sufficiently  small 
for  him  to  cope  with.  He  could  not  attack  Cornwallis  and 
the  main  army,  but  he  could  cut  off  his  supply  trains,  re- 
capture prisoners,  and  harass  his  foraging  parties  at  every 
turn.  This  he  did  with  such  success  that  his  name  was 
hated  in  the  British  camp  more  than  that  of  any  other 
Colonial. 

The  first  exploit  that  turned  out  successfully  for  his 
command  was  against  a body  of  British  regulars  who  were 
conducting  a number  of  American  prisoners  to  Charleston, 
shortly  after  the  battle  of  Camden.  Marion  and  his  men 
were  hiding  in  a swamp  when  news  was  brought  to  them 
by  trusty  scouts,  that  the  enemy  was  nearby. 

“How  many  prisoners  do  you  suppose  there  are?” 
asked  Marion. 

“ Near  two  hundred,”  replied  the  scouts. 

“ And  what  do  you  imagine  to  be  the  number  of  the 
British  guard  ? ” 

“ Why,  General,  we  counted  about  ninety.” 

“Ninety?”  replied  Marion,  with  a smile.  “Ninety! 
Well,  that  will  do.  And  now,  gentlemen,  if  you  will  only 


208  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


stand  by  me,  I’ve  a good  hope  that  we  thirty  will  have 
those  ninety  by  to-morrow  sunrise.” 

His  men  told  him  to  lead  on,  for  they  were  determined 
to  go  wherever  he  went,  and,  if  need  be,  to  perish  at  his 
side. 

Night  soon  fell,  and,  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  the 
little  band  of  ragged  cavalrymen  rode  quietly  to  a ferry 
over  the  Santee  River  and  were  soon  put  across.  The 
British  had  passed  only  a short  time  before  and  had  halted 
at  the  first  tavern  that  they  had  come  to,  called  “ The  Blue 
House.”  Here  they  ordered  supper,  and,  seated  under  an 
arbour  in  front,  had  feasted  right  merrily.  They  were  in 
high  good  humour,  for  the  battle  of  Camden  had  been 
most  gloriously  won  by  their  army.  Much  wine  was  con- 
sumed before  they  lay  down  to  a deep  sleep,  with  sentries 
posted  around  the  house  to  guard  their  slumbers. 

Marion  waited  until  the  first  flush  of  dawn  before  making 
the  attack.  Then,  approaching  the  house,  behind  a high 
fence,  his  men  suddenly  made  a rush  for  the  sleeping  guard. 
The  sentinels  fired  their  muskets  and  fled  precipitously  into 
the  front  yard.  The  guns  of  the  sleeping  guards  were 
stacked  in  several  piles,  and,  as  these  were  seized  immedi- 
ately, the  surprised  and  crest-fallen  Englishmen,  found 
themselves  prisoners  of  war.  After  they  had  been  safely 
secured,  Marion  called  for  their  Captain,  but  he  was  not 
to  be  seen.  A diligent  search  was  made,  and  he  was  dis- 
covered half-way  up  the  chimney.  His  mortification  was 
intense  when  he  found  that  a handful  of  militia  had  made 
prisoners  of  his  able-bodied,  British  guard. 

But  no  sooner  had  these  red-coats  been  paroled  and  the 
prisoners  set  free,  than  word  was  brought  by  a patriotic 


FRANCIS  MARION 


209 


farmer,  that  a large  force  of  British  sympathizers  were 
mustering  on  the  Pedee  River,  under  the  eye  of  an  English 
Captain.  Without  losing  a moment,  Marion  ordered  his 
men  to  mount,  and  soon  was  on  his  way  to  attack  this 
fresh  command. 

Pursuing  by  paths  through  the  forest,  he  came  upon  the 
Tories,  shortly  after  they  had  crossed  a bridge  over  the 
Black  Mingo  River,  and  had  encamped  on  the  farther  side. 
Galloping  across  the  bridge,  his  force  fell  upon  their  en- 
campment, but  the  noise  which  the  horses  made  on  the 
wooden  planking  had  warned  the  Tory  sentinels  of  the 
approach.  They  were  ready  for  the  fray  and  a fierce  com- 
bat ensued,  but,  losing  their  Captain  by  a shot  through  the 
head,  the  English  sympathizers  beat  a hasty  retreat,  leaving 
many  of  their  party  dead  upon  the  field.  Never  afterwards 
would  Marion  allow  his  cavalry  to  cross  a bridge  without 
first  laying  blankets  on  the  boards. 

These  successes  gave  renewed  hope  to  the  Colonials, 
who  were  still  further  cheered  by  the  news  that  General 
Greene  was  to  be  sent  south  from  Washington’s  army,  in 
order  to  take  command  of  the  remnants  of  the  forces  of 
Gates  which  had  been  so  badly  whipped  at  Camden.  The 
audacious  Marion  also  stimulated  the  patriotic  fever  by 
another  brilliant  exploit,  more  daring  and  as  successful 
as  any  heretofore.  This  adventure  occurred  after  he  had 
learned  from  some  of  his  outriders  that  a large  body  of 
Tories  wras  upon  the  road  to  attack  him,  and  he  had  de- 
termined, with  his  usual  bravery,  to  fall  upon  them  before 
they  could  know  of  his  presence.  He  informed  his  men 
of  his  plans;  they  vaulted  into  their  saddles  with  a loud 
huzza,  when  he  told  them  that  they  should  march;  and 


210  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


soon  they  were  joyfully  on  their  way  to  battle  with  the 
advancing  cavalry.  After  a two  days’  ride  they  came  upon 
the  Tory  encampment  at  nightfall,  near  the  Little  Pedee 
River. 

Not  expecting  the  advent  of  so  dangerous  an  enemy, 
who,  when  last  they  heard  of  him,  was  seventy  miles  away, 
the  Tories  had  not  even  taken  the  precaution  to  place 
sentinels  around  the  camp.  Collected  about  two  great 
fires,  some  were  engaged  in  playing  cards,  while  others 
smoked  their  pipes  peacefully  by  the  warm  blaze.  One, 
even,  was  engaged  in  fiddling  a lively  air.  It  was  certainly 
inhuman  to  attack  such  unsuspecting  men,  but  war  is 
not  a gentle  game,  and,  with  one  well-aimed  volley, 
Marion’s  troopers  charged  upon  the  camp.  When  they 
came  up  to  the  fires,  twenty-three  were  found  shot,  — 
while  many  more  were  badly  wounded.  Thirteen  were 
captured.  The  remainder  took  to  their  heels  and  fled  into 
the  wood. 

Marion  secured  thirty-four  stand  of  arms ; one  hundred 
horses  with  new  saddles  and  bridles;  besides  much  am- 
munition and  baggage.  “ One  of  the  gamblers,”  says  a 
writer  of  the  period,  “ though  shot  dead,  still  held  the  cards 
hard  gripped  in  his  hand.  Led  by  curiosity  to  inspect  this 
strange  sight  — a dead  gambler  — we  found  that  the 
cards  which  he  held  were  ace,  deuce,  and  jack.  Clubs 
were  trumps.  Holding  High,  Low,  Jack,  and  the  Game 
in  his  own  hand,  he  seemed  to  be  in  a fair  way  to  do  well, 
but  Marion  came  down  upon  him  with  a trump  that  spoiled 
the  sport  and  non-suited  him  for  ever.” 

Shortly  after  this,  when  Marion  was  encamped  in  the 
vicinity  of  Georgetown,  a flag  of  truce  was  sent  in  from 


®P 


GENERAL  MARION  AND  THE  BRITISH  OFFICER 


FRANCIS  MARION 


211 


the  British  with  the  request  that  the  General  should  treat 
with  them  for  the  exchange  of  some  prisoners.  With  the 
white  handkerchief  that  served  as  the  flag,  came  a young, 
British  officer  who  was  brought  into  camp  with  his  eyes 
blindfolded  as  is  the  custom  of  war.  It  could  be  easily  seen 
when  he  was  introduced  to  the  General,  that  he  was  much 
surprised,  for,  instead  of  beholding  a large,  stout,  well-fed 
and  generously-proportioned  man,  dressed  in  a natty 
uniform,  he  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  a small,  thin, 
rather  sallow-faced  individual,  whose  coat  was  patched, 
whose  boots  were  worn,  and  whose  trousers  were  rent  in 
many  places.  Instead  of  well-dressed  retainers,  as  he  was 
accustomed  to  see  in  his  own  camp,  he  saw  a mere  handful 
of  angular,  sunburned,  and  tattered  militia-men,  some  of 
whom  were  engaged  in  cooking  a poor  repast  in  the  glowing 
ashes,  and  some  of  whom  were  stretched  out  in  slumber, 
with  long  muskets  and  grimy  powder-horns  lying  beside 
them  on  the  fallen  trees.  After  talking  over  the  matter, 
about  which  he  wished  to  consult  with  General  Marion, 
the  British  officer  politely  rose  from  a fallen,  pine  log,  upon 
which  he  had  seated  himself,  and  courteously  lifting  his 
hat,  expressed  the  desire  to  be  reblindfolded  and  led  back 
to  his  own  camp.  But  General  Marion,  with  the  true 
hospitality  of  the  Southerner,  would  not  hear  of  such  a 
thing. 

“ Pray  seat  yourself,  my  friend,”  he  said,  “ for  it  is  my 
dinner  hour  and  I shall  be  most  happy  to  have  you  as 
guest  at  my  repast.” 

Somewhat  reluctantly,  the  officer  again  seated  himself 
upon  the  fallen  tree,  for,  as  he  gazed  about  him,  he  could 
see  no  signs  of  meat,  or  steaming  coffee.  Instead,  a very 


212  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


black,  negro  boy  was  quite  busily  poking  the  fire  wdth  a 
long,  pine  stick.  Soon  he  extricated  some  sweet  potatoes, 
the  cooking  of  which  he  tested  by  pinching  them  between 
his  fingers.  After  selecting  a few  that  were  quite  done,  he 
placed  them  upon  a clean  piece  of  bark  and  laid  them 
before  Marion  and  his  guest. 

“ I greatly  fear,  sir,”  said  General  Marion,  “ that  our 
dinner  will  not  prove  as  palatable  to  you  as  I could  wish, 
but,  it  is  the  best  that  we  have.” 

“ Why,  not  at  all,”  the  well-bred  officer  replied,  “ I am 
sure  that  this  is  as  splendid  a repast  as  any  soldier  could 
desire.”  And  although  he  made  a pretence  of  eating  with 
relish,  it  could  be  plainly  seen  that  he  did  not  thoroughly 
enjoy  the  food  before  him.  Finally  he  broke  into  loud 
laughter  and  said  with  some  show  of  surprise. 

“ I beg  your  pardon,  General,  but  one  cannot,  you  know, 
always  direct  one’s  reflections.  I was  thinking  how  angry 
and  disgusted  some  of  my  brother  officers  would  look,  if 
our  government  were  to  give  them  such  a bill-of-fare  as 
this.” 

“ I suppose,”  Marion  answered,  “ that  it  is  not  as 
sumptuous  as  the  rations  that  are  given  to  your  men.” 

“ Most  certainly  not,”  replied  the  officer,  “ and  this 
must  be  one  of  your  accidental  dinners,  you  must  assuredly 
live  much  better  than  this.” 

But  Marion  looked  at  him  with  unfeigned  surprise. 
“ Indeed  we  rather  fare  worse  than  this,”  he  answered. 
“For  there  are  many  times  when  we  get  very  much  less  than 
we  have  before  us.” 

“ Zounds,  sir,”  ejaculated  the  officer.  “ But  certainly 
what  you  lose  in  food,  you  make  up  in  other  ways.  I’ll 


FRANCIS  MARION 


213 


warrant  that  although  your  larder  is  ill-supplied,  you  make 
up  the  difference  in  pay  from  your  government.” 

“ Not  a cent  of  pay  do  we  get,  sir,”  replied  Marion. 

The  officer  was  plainly  affected.  “ You  do  not  mean 
that  you  receive  no  recompense  for  your  services  against  the 
King,  in  whose  pay  I have  the  honour  to  be.  I do  not 
see,  General,  how  you  and  your  men  can  do  such  a 
thing.” 

“ Why,  my  dear  sir,”  answered  Marion  with  feeling, 
“ these  things  depend  wholly  upon  sentiment.  The  heart 
is  everything  in  life,  and  when  a man  is  much  interested, 
he  can  do  any  deed  and  suffer  any  discomfort.  Many  a 
youth  would  think  it  hard  to  become  a slave  for  fourteen 
years  of  his  life,  but  let  him  be  head-over-heels  in  love,  and 
with  such  a beautiful  sweetheart  as  Rachel,  and  he  will 
think  no  more  of  fourteen  years  of  servitude  than  did  the 
youthful  Jacob  in  that  pleasing  tale  in  the  Holy  Bible. 
Well,  now,  this  is  exactly  my  case.  I am  in  love  with  my 
sweetheart  and  her  name  is  LIBERTY.  As  long  as  this 
fair  creature  is  my  companion,  these  wilds  and  woods  have 
charms  beyond  London  and  Paris.  For  there  a proud 
Monarch  would  glide  by  me  in  his  gilded  coach  and  his 
host  of  excise-men  and  tax  gatherers  would  insult  and  rob 
me.  Here,  if  we  win  the  Revolution,  I will  be  my  own 
master,  my  owm  prince  and  sovereign.  Here  I sow  my  own 
fields,  reap  my  owm  grain,  and  see  millions  of  brothers 
around  me,  as  free  and  happy  as  myself.  This,  my  dear 
sir,  is  what  I long  for  and  intend  to  fight  for,  and,  if  need 
be,  to  sacrifice  my  life  blood  for.” 

At  this  patriotic  utterance,  the  Englishman  looked 
thoroughly  abashed,  and  hung  his  head  dejectedly.  He 


214  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


then  rose,  and,  bidding  General  Marion  adieu,  was  soon 
escorted  beyond  the  outlying  sentries. 

When  he  had  returned  to  the  English  force  and  had  re- 
ported to  the  Colonel  of  his  regiment,  he  was  asked,  with 
some  surprise,  why  he  looked  so  serious. 

“ I have  good  cause,  sir,”  he  replied. 

“What?  Has  General  Marion  refused  to  treat  with 
us?” 

“ No,  sir.” 

“ Well,  then,  has  old  Washington  defeated  General 
Clinton  and  broken  up  our  army?  ” 

“ No,  sir,  not  that  either,  but  worse.” 

“ Ah  ? What  can  be  worse  ? ” 

“ Why,  sir,  I have  seen  an  American  officer  and  his  men, 
without  pay,  almost  without  clothes,  living  on  roots  and 
. drinking  water,  and  all  for  Liberty.  What  chance  have  we 
against  such  men  ? ” 

The  young  officer  was  so  struck  by  the  noble  sentiments 
which  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of  General  Marion,  that  he 
soon  threw  up  his  commission  and  retired  from  the  army 
of  the  Crown. 

This  anecdote  well  illustrates  the  wonderful  patriotism 
of  Francis  Marion.  Like  Stonewall  Jackson  of  the  Con- 
federate service  in  the  American  War  of  Secession,  his 
noble  spirit  animated  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  His  high  resolve  and  absolute  purpose  impressed 
the  weaklings  of  the  service  with  veneration  and  respect. 
Reserved  and  silent,  he  scarcely  ever  spoke,  except  when 
necessary,  and  then  in  the  most  simple  and  direct  language 
that  he  could  command.  This  peculiarity,  joined  with  the 
extreme  plainness  of  dress  and  still  plainer  manners,  in- 


FRANCIS  MARION 


215 


creased  the  mystery  of  his  actions  and  added  greatly  to  the 
influence  which  he  had  over  his  followers.  With  coolness 
and  self-command,  he  went  upon  the  most  desperate 
missions.  With  calmness  he  would  fight  desperately,  and 
then,  with  the  utmost  composure,  draw  off  his  men  to  their 
dismal  and  lonely  encampment  in  the  swamp.  He  seemed 
to  be  without  passion.  It  was  Liberty  he  strove  for,  not 
revenge,  nor  glory,  nor  love  of  excitement,  or  desire  for 
money  and  power. 

These  desperate  raids  of  his  were  now  carried  on  with 
quite  as  much  success  as  before.  His  force  grew  in  size 
and  ability  while  the  cause  of  Liberty  in  the  South  again 
blazed  forth  with  brightened  prospects,  as  Nathaniel 
Greene,  who  succeeded  General  Gates,  proved  to  be  an  able 
and  sagacious  leader.  The  British  army  (still  under 
Lord  Cornwallis)  began  to  meet  with  reverses.  A portion 
of  the  English  force,  sent  into  the  western  part  of  South 
Carolina,  met  with  a severe  defeat  at  King’s  Mountain. 
Another  portion  — under  Tarleton  — was  badly  whipped 
at  Gowpens,  and,  after  pursuing  Greene  far  to  the  North, 
where  a sharp  battle  was  fought  at  Guilford  Court 
House  just  below  the  northern  border  of  North  Carolina. 
Cornwallis  withdrew  his  forces  to  Virginia,  where  he  was 
soon  hemmed  in  at  Yorktown  by  the  French  fleet,  aided, 
on  the  land,  by  Washington  and  Lafayette.  Greene  re- 
turned to  the  Carolinas,  where  he  captured  some  of  the 
British  supplies  and  several  small  garrisons,  left  behind  by 
the  injudicious  Cornwallis.  Soon  he  had  turned  aggressor 
and  hemmed  the  last  remnants  of  the  English  army  in  at 
Charleston. 

While  Cornwallis  was  manoeuvring  with  the  wily 


216  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Greene,  before  his  retreat  to  North  Carolina,  and  was 
desperately  endeavouring  to  get  in  contact  with  him  before 
he  could  choose  ground  to  his  own  advantage,  Marion  had 
not  been  idle.  A British  officer,  named  Watson,  confronted 
him  with  a force  equal  to  his  own,  and  the  Swamp  Fox  was 
afraid  to  attack  him  until  his  army  was  somewhat  depleted. 
Soon  he  had  the  opportunity,  for  Watson  was  called  to  join 
Cornwallis,  leaving  behind  him  a number  of  men  as 
garrison  to  a stockade,  named  in  his  honour.  The  fort 
was  upon  an  Indian  mound. 

The  American  General,  who  was  assisted  by  a General 
Lee,  did  not,  at  first,  see  how  he  could  capture  the  fortress, 
as  he  was  without  artillery  and  intrenching  tools.  Finally 
a clever  idea  was  hit  upon.  A long,  oblong  pen  was  erected, 
covered  on  the  top  with  a floor  of  logs,  and  protected  on 
the  side  opposite  the  fort  with  a breastwork  of  light  timber. 
It  was  soon  finished.  A party  of  riflemen  took  position  on 
the  tower  at  the  very  moment  when  it  was  completed, 
commanded  every  part  of  the  fort  from  this  height;  and 
began  to  pick  off  all  who  showed  themselves  in  the  stockade. 
Finding  every  resource  cut  off,  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Watson  hung  out  a white  flag  and  capitulated. 

But  another  stockade  remained,  called  Fort  Motte,  in 
which  was  a considerable  garrison  — a fact  which  did  not 
dismay  Lee  and  Marion  — for,  flushed  with  their  former 
success,  they  determined  to  force  capitulation.  So,  combin- 
ing their  squads  of  horsemen,  they  soon  had  surrounded 
the  fortifications ; had  mounted  a six-pounder  to  rake  the 
northern  face  of  the  British  parapet ; and  had  thrown  up  an 
earthwork  within  four  hundred  yards  of  its  walls.  The 
garrison  was  now  summoned  to  surrender,  but  refused 


FRANCIS  MARION 


217 


because  of  fancied  help  which  they  hoped  to  get  from  a 
force  under  Lord  Rawdon,  encamped  near-by.  This  did 
not  disconcert  the  attacking  party,  for  there  was  a certain 
way  of  compelling  surrender,  — by  setting  fire  to  a large 
house  in  the  centre  which  belonged  to  Mrs.  Motte : a 
patriotic  owner  of  the  plantation  upon  which  the  fort  had 
been  built,  who  had  remained  near  the  scene  of  conflict  and 
watched  the  fortunes  of  the  day  with  much  interest. 
General  Marion,  seeing  that  there  was  no  other  way,  de- 
termined to  ask  her  consent  to  the  firing  of  the  mansion 
house. 

“ It  is  possible  to  burn  out  the  garrison,  Madam,”  he 
said  to  her,  “ but,  in  doing  so,  we  must  set  fire  to  your 
valuable  property.  Can  I have  permission  to  fire  the 
place?” 

Mrs.  Motte  viewed  the  plan  with  enthusiasm.  “ By  all 
means,”  she  replied. 

Seeing  a bow  and  some  arrows  that  had  been  prepared 
to  throw  a wad  of  burning  cotton  on  the  roof,  she  sent  for 
a bow  of  her  own,  recently  imported  from  India,  and  re- 
quested that  they  substitute  this  for  that  which  had  been 
provided. 

The  roof  of  the  protecting  house  was  soon  alight  from 
four  burning  arrows  which  fell  upon  it  in  different  quarters, 
and  the  fire  of  the  six  pounder  soon  drove  the  British 
soldiers  into  the  protection  of  the  blazing  homestead. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  surrender,  and  this 
the  Red-Coats  did  with  sorry  grace. 

The  capture  of  Fort  Motte  was  not  the  last  fight  in  which 
Marion  took  part,  for  there  were  other  cavalry  skirmishes 
in  which  he  jeopardized  his  life,  before  the  British 


218  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


evacuated  Charleston  and  left  the  Carolinas  for  ever. 
It  was,  however,  one  of  the  hardest  blows  to  the  forces 
which  Cornwallis  had  left  behind  him  that  was  dealt 
by  the  Partisans. 

After  the  sailing  of  the  British  transports,  Marion  called 
his  brigade  together  at  Walboo  and  took  an  affectionate 
leave  of  his  followers.  His  address  to  his  men  was  charac- 
terized by  that  peculiar  modesty  and  simplicity  that  had 
marked  each  action  of  his  life.  He  spoke  of  the  scenes  of 
their  past  service  in  the  Revolution;  he  thanked  them 
most  cordially  for  their  help;  and  bade  them  all  a fond 
farewell.  His  remarks  were  greeted  with  tearful  silence, 
and  many  a rough  Partisan  uttered  a silent  request  to  the 
powers  above,  that  the  life  of  their  beloved  leader  be 
spared  for  many  years,  and  that  his  remaining  days  should 
be  tranquil  and  happy. 

Such,  indeed,  was  to  be  the  fate  of  Francis  Marion. 
After  taking  leave  of  these,  — his  companions  in  many 
hard-fought  contests,  — the  much-loved  leader  retired  to 
his  plantation ; which  he  found  absolutely  devastated  by 
the  ravages  of  war,  as  it  had  been  directly  in  the  path  of 
one  of  the  ordinary  routes  of  the  British  army. 

Although  penniless  — for  he  had  received  no  pay,  and 
half  of  his  negroes  had  been  removed  by  the  British  — he 
set  manfully  to  work  to  repair  the  losses  that  he  had  sus- 
tained, and  to  once  more  make  his  plantation  ydeld  a 
fruitful  harvest.  His  efforts  were  crowned  with  success, 
and  civil  honours  came  also,  for  he  was  elected  Senator 
from  the  Parish  of  Saint  Johns.  He  aided  in  rebuilding 
the  fortifications  in  Charleston  Harbour  and  was  voted  a 
gold  medal  as  a mark  of  public  approbation  for  his  assist- 
ance to  the  State. 


FRANCIS  MARION 


219 


Thus  the  closing  years  of  Francis  Marion’s  life  were 
peaceful  and  happy,  made  doubly  so  by  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  Videau  : a maiden  lady  of  considerable  wealth 
and  also  of  Huguenot  descent.  Although  blessed  with  no 
children,  they  lived  for  many  years  upon  his  plantation, 
enjoying  that  peace  which  only  comes  after  a praiseworthy 
and  meritorious  service  to  one’s  fellow  men.  In  the  sixty- 
third  year  of  his  age  this  famous  cavalryman  fell  into  that 
peaceful  slumber  which  is  the  end  of  all  things.  “ Thank 
God  I can  lay  my  hand  upon  my  heart  and  say,  since  I 
came  to  man’s  estate  I have  never  intentionally  done 
wrong  to  any,”  were  his  last  words. 

So  died  one  of  the  most  pure  and  unselfish  patriots 
which  the  American  Revolution  produced.  He  loved  his 
country  better  than  his  life,  and  Liberty  was  dearer  to  him 
than  all  other  things  on  earth.  For  a long  time  he  was  the 
only  Colonial  in  his  native  State  who  dared  to  lift  the 
standard  of  freedom,  and  although  he  became  the  object 
against  whom  the  British  directed  many  a vigorous  attack, 
they  could  never  disband  his  corps  or  break  his  power. 
Noble ; brave ; vigilant ; aggressive ; patriotic ; America 
may  well  be  proud  of  such  a splendid  and  heroic  character. 


MARSHAL  NEY,  THE  BRAVEST  OF  THE  BRAVE 
[1769  — 1815] 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE,  Emperor  of  the 
French,  spent  his  life  in  one  continuous  series 
of  wars.  He  had  secured  his  position  as  ruler, 
only  after  the  country  had  passed  through  various  revolu- 
tions and  uprisings  among  the  people.  They  had  tired  of 
the  dissipated  Bourbon  kings  — whose  reigns  had  been 
most  corrupt  — had  overthrown  their  power,  and  had 
set  up  a Directorate  of  several  individuals.  This  kind  of 
government  had  finally  resolved  itself  into  a one-man 
rule,  — with  Bonaparte  as  First  Consul.  But  the  people 
wished  to  perpetuate  him  in  power,  and  so  eventually 
crowned  him  Emperor  of  the  French.  His  reign  was  a 
stormy  one  and  he  had  need  of  strong  and  able  men. 
Among  those  lesser  satellites  who  clustered  about  his 
brilliant  person,  not  one  is  more  eminent  than  Marshal 
Ney,  Soldier  of  the  Empire,  and  Commander  of  more 
than  one  bloody  engagement  where  cavalry  won  the  day 
for  the  Napoleonic  arms. 

Marshal  Ney  was  Napoleon’s  most  staunch  adherent; 
his  devoted  admirer  through  life;  and  his  most  able 
General.  He  has  truthfully  been  called,  “ The  Bravest 
of  the  Brave,”  for  he  knew  no  fear  in  battle.  Without  him, 
the  French  army  would  not  have  left  such  a splendid 

220 


MARSHAL  NEY 


MARSHAL  NEY 


221 


record  behind  it,  and  had  Napoleon  listened  more  often 
to  his  advice,  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  would  have  had 
a more  successful  climax  to  his  career.  On  more  than  one 
occasion,  Ney’s  counsel  was  more  sound  than  Napoleon  s 
own  views,  as  history  has  truthfully  proven. 

At  a small,  provincial  town  in  France  called  Sarrelouis, 
in  the  year  1769,  there  lived  a cooper  who  had  been  a sol- 
dier in  the  regiments  of  the  Bourbons.  Although  he  was 
no  longer  in  the  army,  he  was  still  fired  with  enthusiasm 
for  the  military  life,  and  would  often  entertain  his  children 
with  stories  of  his  adventures,  - — particularly  of  those 
at  the  battle  of  Rossbach,  where  he  had  quite  distinguished 
himself.  This  martial-spirited  workman  was  the  father 
of  the  future  Marshal  of  France.  His  name  was  Ney, 
and  the  son  who  was  to  leave  an  indelible  name  on  the 
pages  of  history  was  called  Michael. 

As  a little  boy  Michael  was  educated  by  the  Monks  of 
St.  Augustin,  where  he  showed  a marked  indisposition 
to  follow  the  strict  rules  of  the  school.  He  was  appren- 
ticed to  a Notary,  but  soon  gave  this  up,  as  he  considered 
the  copying  of  deeds  and  contracts,  far  too  dull  for  his 
nature.  As  a matter  of  fact,  he  longed  to  be  a soldier ; and 
this  was  in  spite  of  the  counsel  of  his  father,  who  often 
told  him  that  the  son  of  a poor  mechanic  had  no  chance 
in  the  profession  of  arms,  where  all  the  high  positions 
were  reserved  for  those  of  noble  birth.  Yet  he  continued 
in  this  way  of  thinking,  and  at  fifteen,  deserted  the  Notary 
and  secured  a position  in  a mine,  — hoping  to  find  this 
more  attractive.  But,  although  the  bustle  and  confusion 
of  the  works  were  interesting  to  one,  who,  like  himself, 
loved  excitement,  and  although  he  was  made  an  overseer, 


222  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  soon  tired  of  this  occupation.  There  was  a military 
garrison  near-by,  where  the  life  seemed  to  be  far  more  to  his 
liking,  so  he  determined  to  enlist  as  a private.  As  only  a 
manly  boy  would  do,  he  paid  a visit  to  his  parents  before 
committing  himself  to  this  step,  and  took  leave  of  them 
with  many  reproaches,  entreaties,  and  even  threats  from 
both  father  and  mother,  who  implored  him  to  give  up 
this  occupation.  But  he  was  deaf  to  their  entreaties,  and, 
bidding  them  good-bye,  set  out  for  Metz  with  a heavy 
heart,  where  he  arrived  with  ragged  clothes  and  no  money. 
Still  his  courage  was  not  lacking,  and  he  enlisted  in  a 
regiment  of  hussars  with  a joyful  spirit.  He  was  eighteen 
when  he  thus  entered  the  service  of  France. 

It  was  not  long  before  he  had  made  an  excellent  name 
for  himself.  He  was  soon  acknowledged  to  be  the  best 
swordsman  in  the  regiment,  and  was  the  only  one  who  could 
ride  and  subdue  the  refractory  horses  of  the  command. 
Because  of  this  well-known  ability  with  the  rapier,  he  was 
chosen,  when  a cadet,  to  fight  a duel  with  the  fencing- 
master  of  the  regiment  (also  quartered  at  Metz)  after 
the  fellow  had  insulted  his  own  command.  Young  Ney 
was  overjoyed  to  have  an  opportunity  to  distinguish  him- 
self, but,  unfortunately  he  was  caught  when  preparing  for 
the  encounter,  and  imprisoned,  — for  duelling  was  pun- 
ishable with  death.  But  his  superiors  were  lenient,  as  they 
liked  the  temper  of  this  spirited,  young  man.  After  a 
long  confinement  he  was  allowed  his  liberty,  and  soon 
afterwards  secretly  met  the  fencing-master.  In  a sharp 
encounter  he  wounded  him  seriously,  thus  disgracing  the 
old  bully  in  the  eyes  of  his  own  men,  and  wreaking  a 
just  revenge  for  previous  insults.  As  a consequence  of 


MARSHAL  NEY 


223 


this  affair,  his  opponent  was  subsequently  dismissed  the 
service,  and  was  reduced,  in  later  years,  to  great  poverty. 
Ney  heard  of  his  distress,  and,  with  characteristic  warmth- 
of-heart,  gave  him  a large  sum  of  money. 

Marshal  Ney,  as  a young  soldier,  was  tall,  well-propor- 
tioned, and  very  strong;  with  a head  of  fiery  red  hair, 
which  caused  him  to  be  named  “ The  Red  Lion.”  At 
the  end  of  the  revolution  in  France,  which  led  to  the  over- 
throw of  the  King,  he  had  won  a place  as  Lieutenant; 
but  his  splendid  work  against  the  Austrian  army  — a 
little  later  — gained  him  rapid  promotion.  France  was 
then  at  war  with  Austria  because  of  her  determination  to 
continue  a democratic  form  of  Government,  to  which 
all  countries  which  were  ruled  by  kings  were,  of  course, 
opposed.  Austria  was  governed  for  a privileged  class,  and 
was  naturally  at  odds  with  France,  for  political  reasons. 
During  the  war  Ney  was  advanced  five  times.  In  1793 
he  was  appointed  aid-de-camp  to  General  Lemarche,  and, 
after  this  General’s  death,  was  made  Captain  in  the  very 
regiment  in  which  he  had  first  enlisted.  Next  he  was 
selected  to  lead  a detachment  of  cavalry  in  Kleber’s  army, 
operating  in  the  year  1794  against  the  Austrians,  and,  as 
he  had  shown  himself  to  be  so  energetic,  he  was  requested 
to  check  the  detachments  of  foreign  troops  which  overran 
the  country,  keeping  the  population  in  awe,  and  destroying 
the  supply  trains  of  the  French.  Shortly  after  this,  at 
a battle  near  Pellemberg,  he  made  a desperate  charge 
with  thirty  dragoons  and  a few  orderlies,  which  made 
him  famous,  for  against  him  were  over  two  hundred 
Austrian  hussars,  whom  he  routed  completely.  Delighted 
with  this  heroic  act,  his  commanding  general  appointed 
him  to  the  position  of  Adjutant-General. 


224  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


In  this  campaign  the  Austrian  army  fought  doggedly, 
but  the  troops  were  pushed  back  into  their  own  territory 
by  the  French,  who  seemed  to  be  inspired  by  the  valiant 
spirit  of  their  leaders.  At  this  time  Ney  was  not  only  called 
“ The  Red  Lion,”  but  also,  “ The  Indefatigable,”  because 
he  seemed  to  be  daunted  by  no  danger,  exhausted  by  no 
toil,  and  caught  by  no  stratagem.  When  the  soldiers 
would  hear  the  thunder  of  his  cannon  from  afar,  they 
would  exclaim,  “ Courage,  the  Red  Lion  is  roaring. 
All  will  soon  be  well,  for  Peter  the  Red  is  coming.”  He 
seemed  to  have  a soul  of  fire  in  an  iron  frame  and  wel- 
comed danger  with  apparent  relish.  His  personal  appear- 
ance, at  this  time,  was  also  striking.  His  complexion  was 
somewhat  pale,  his  forehead  large,  and  his  under  lip 
and  chin  were  prominent.  These  strongly-marked  features 
gave  a manly  and  severe  look  to  his  countenance.  Honesty 
and  integrity  were  stamped  indelibly  upon  them,  and  he 
appeared  to  be  what  he  was, — a leader  of  men.  His 
popularity  among  his  soldiers  grew  greater  every  day, 
for  they  fully  appreciated  his  sterling  worth  and  perfect 
fearlessness  in  time  of  danger.  Always  willing  to  enter  the 
hottest  part  of  the  fight,  he  exposed  himself  with  the 
greatest  freedom,  and  never  called  upon  them  to  perform 
a feat  which  he  himself  would  not  do. 

About  a month  after  the  battle  at  Pellemberg,  Ney  and 
his  troopers  became  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  army 
in  an  advance  upon  a small  Ullage  called  Werdt.  Learning 
of  the  General’s  presence,  from  a captured  trooper,  a 
large  force  of  Prussians  placed  themselves  in  the  rear 
of  his  command,  determined  to  make  him  prisoner.  Ney 
heard  of  this  and  started  to  return  to  the  army.  But  soon 


MARSHAL  NEY 


225 


his  scouts  brought  him  word  that  the  enemy’s  cavalry 
was  on  the  left  of  the  road  in  large  force,  and  that  if  he 
attempted  to  pass,  he  would  be  undoubtedly  captured. 
“ Impossible ! ” answered  Ney  to  the  dragoon,  who 
brought  him  the  news,  “ Sound  the  Charge ! ” Waving 
his  sword  aloft,  he  dashed  forward  at  the  head  of  his  men 
and  cut  a clear  passage  through  the  opposing  troops. 
Thinking  that  the  way  was  now  clear,  the  French  cavalry 
galloped  forward,  only  to  find,  as  they  rounded  a bend  in 
the  road,  that  another  body  of  dragoons  intercepted  their 
flight.  With  a great  show  of  courage,  Ney  again  shouted, 
“ Forward,  my  men  ! Clear  them  aside  ! ” and,  in  another 
moment,  he  was  among  the  enemy.  Such  was  the  fury 
of  this  onslaught  that  his  opponents  were  not  only  routed, 
but  their  commander  was  taken  prisoner.  Because  of 
this  deed  of  daring,  Ney  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
Chief-of- Brigade. 

About  a month  later  he  thus  again  distinguished  himself. 
While  hastening  to  the  aid  of  General  Bernadotte,  who 
was  endeavouring  to  defeat  the  enemy’s  rear  guard,  he 
encountered  a number  of  boats  on  the  river  which  runs 
near  Maestricht.  In  these  he  could  distinguish  the  wheels 
of  gun-carriages,  so  he  supposed  that  they  contained 
cannon  and  stores  for  the  garrison  at  that  place.  It  was 
not  long  before  he  had  his  men  on  the  banks  of  the  stream, 
and  a number  of  them  were  ordered  to  take  off  their  clothes 
in  order  to  be  prepared  to  swim  to  the  boats,  — protected 
by  volley-firing  by  those  on  the  bank.  But  the  men  who 
propelled  the  skiffs  saw  this  action,  and,  fearing  that 
they  would  be  captured,  sank  their  flotilla  with  all  the 
powder,  cannon  and  projectiles  which  they  had  placed 


226  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


inside.  This  was  a most  fortunate  incident  for  the  French, 
as  it  eventually  led  to  the  capture  of  the  town.  No  one 
appreciated  Ney’s  aid  in  this  affair  more  than  General 
Bernadotte,  who  wrote  a letter  to  Kleber  in  which  he  said, 
“ Great  praise  is  due  the  brave  Ney,  he  seconded  me 
with  the  ability  which  you  know  he  possesses,  and  I am 
bound  to  add,  in  strict  justice,  that  he  contributed  greatly 
to  the  success  we  have  obtained.” 

In  a skirmish  that  month  General  Ney  received  some 
bad  wounds,  which  resulted  in  a species  of  lock-jaw,  and 
necessitated  a period  of  inactivity,  which  was  most  dis- 
tressing to  a man  of  his  energetic  disposition,  for,  if  any 
man  loved  an  active  life  it  was  the  intrepid  Marshal. 
The  wounds  were  received  at  the  siege  of  Mayence,  and 
were  due  to  an  exploit  of  his  which  was  designed  to  show 
some  raw  troops  under  his  command  how  to  act  with 
courage.  Stationed  near  a hastily-reared  redoubt  which 
he  saw  could  be  captured  by  a few,  brave  men,  he  as- 
sembled some  dragoons  and  sappers  whom  he  exhorted 
to  follow  his  lead.  They  started  out  behind  him  and  split 
into  two  parties.  Ney  sent  the  sappers  to  the  front  of  the 
redoubt,  in  order  to  draw  the  fire  of  the  Austrians,  while 
he  had  the  dragoons  passed  to  the  rear  and  crawled 
towards  the  earth-work  along  a narrow  ditch.  Those 
who  were  with  him  lost  their  courage,  at  the  last  moment, 
and  allowed  him  to  enter  alone  into  the  fortifications.  He 
was  immediately  surrounded  and  attacked,  but  he  vigor- 
ously defended  himself  with  his  sword,  and  made  his  escape 
with  one  deep,  sabre  thrust  in  his  arm  and  another  in  his 
side. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  army  he  was  offered  the  position 


MARSHAL  NEY 


227 


of  Brigadier-General,  but  declined  the  honour,  alleging 
that  he  had  not  had  sufficient  experience  to  merit  it.  But 
not  long  after  this,  when  he  had  captured  the  town  of 
Forcheim,  he  was  called  before  his  men,  and  in  their 
presence,  was  thus  addressed  by  General  Kleber,  “ I insist 
upon  your  being  General-of- Brigade.  You  may  receive 
the  declaration  as  you  please,  and  I shall  not  compliment 
you  upon  your  modesty,  because,  when  carried  too  far, 
it  ceases  to  be  a good  quality.”  At  this  Ney’s  chasseurs 
shouted  and  began  to  applaud,  while  all  the  officers  cried, 
“ Hear  ! Hear  ! ” But  Ney  gazed  thoughtfully  ahead  and 
said  nothing,  for,  he  still  seemed  to  doubt  his  fitness  for 
the  position.  Ivleber  smiled  at  this  show  of  reticence,  and 
continued,  “ Well,  you  appear  to  be  very  much  grieved 
and  confused,  but  the  Austrians  are  beyond  us  on  the  plain 
waiting  for  you.  Go  and  vent  your  humour  upon  them. 
As  for  me,  I shall  acquaint  the  Directory  with  your  pro- 
motion.” He  accordingly  dispatched  the  following  report, 
which  insured  the  desired  promotion  for  the  gallant  Ney: 

“ Adjutant-General  Ney,  in  this  and  in  preceding 
campaigns,  has  given  numerous  proofs  of  talent,  zeal,  and 
intrepidity;  but  he  surpassed  even  himself  in  the  battle 
which  took  place  yesterday,  in  which  he  had  two  horses 
killed  under  him. 

“ I have  thought  myself  justified  in  promoting  him  upon 
the  field  of  battle  to  the  rank  of  General-of-Brigade. 
A commission  of  this  grade  was  forwarded  to  him  eighteen 
months  ago,  but  his  modesty  did  not  allow  him  then  to 
accept  it.  By  confirming  this  promotion,  Citizen  Directors, 
you  will  perform  a striking  act  of  justice. 

“ Bernadotte.” 


228  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


It  is  needless  to  remark  that  not  only  did  the  Directorate 
confer  the  desired  position  upon  him,  but  Ney  no  longer 
refused  to  accept  the  honour. 

Shortly  after  this  he  was  captured  by  the  enemy  because 
of  this  very  impetuosity  that  was  so  much  admired  by 
those  above  him  in  rank.  In  a march  towards  the  town 
of  Giessen  — with  only  a small  force  of  chasseurs  — he 
ran  into  a detachment  of  Austrians,  outnumbering  him 
three  to  one.  His  own  men  were  put  to  flight  after  a short 
encounter,  and  he  would  have  escaped  with  them  had  not 
his  horse  fallen  and  rolled  with  him  into  a ravine.  Sur- 
rounded immediately  by  a body  of  Austrian  dragoons, 
he  refused  to  surrender,  even  after  his  sword  had  broken 
short  off,  near  the  handle.  Expecting  relief  from  his  own 
side,  he  kept  on  fighting,  in  the  hope  that  he  could  be 
rescued.  But  his  foot  slipped  in  some  mud  and  he  fell 
backwards  upon  the  ground.  The  Austrians  were  im- 
mediately upon  him,  and  he  was  seized  and  conducted  in 
triumph  to  their  camp,  for  they  considered  that  they  had 
done  a good  day’s  work  when  they  had  him  in  captivity. 
As  he  was  carried  through  the  streets  of  Giessen,  a vast 
concourse  of  people  pressed  around  him  in  order  to  view 
this  remarkable  hero,  whose  military  fame  was  so  much 
superior  to  that  of  the  Austrian  Generals.  This  greatly 
irritated  the  officer  who  had  charge  of  the  detachment 
of  dragoons.  “ One  would  think  that  this  was  some  extraor- 
dinary animal,”  he  remarked.  Whereupon  a lady 
standing  near-by,  replied,  “ It  is  indeed  extraordinary, 
for  did  it  not  take  a whole  squadron  of  dragoons  to 
capture  him  ? ” 

About  a week  after  this,  as  he  was  one  day  seated  in  front 


MARSHAL  NEY 


229 


of  his  tent,  he  saw  an  Austrian  private  exercising  his  own 
horse,  which  had  been  brought  to  the  enemy’s  camp  with 
him.  The  Austrian  officers  began  to  laugh  at  the  gaits 
and  actions  of  the  charger,  who  seemed  to  be  absolutely 
worthless  and  painfully  slow  in  his  movements.  This 
irritated  Ney,  who  said,  “ Give  me  your  permission,  and 
I will  soon  show  you  how  my  own  horse  should  be  man- 
aged.” The  officers  in  charge  of  his  person  gave  a willing 
assent.  “ You  cannot  make  anything  out  of  that  old,  worn- 
out  hack,”  one  of  them  said,  in  a scoffing  tone.  “ Watch 
me  and  you  will  see,”  Ney  replied.  A few  moments 
later  the  Austrians  greatly  regretted  their  remarks,  for, 
putting  spurs  to  his  steed,  the  General  was  soon  galloping 
towards  the  French  camp.  Immediately  the  bugles  were 
sounded  and  the  heavy  and  light  cavalry  started  in  pursuit. 
Seeing  that  he  would  be  captured,  Ney  wheeled  and  was 
soon  back  at  the  place  from  which  he  started,  while  the 
Austrians  never  afterwards  joked  with  him  about  his  horse. 

Eventually  Ney  was  exchanged  and  soon  was  in  com- 
mand of  a portion  of  French  army  quartered  on  the  sea 
coast,  for  it  was  Napoleon’s  intention  to  invade  England. 
This  brilliant  Corsican  had  recently  been  elected  to  the  su- 
preme command  of  the  army,  and  was  determined  to  do  all  in 
his  power  to  harass  the  English  nation.  Fortunately  for  him 
the  strength  of  the  British  fleet  made  it  impossible  for  the 
French  army  to  cross  the  channel,  and  the  invasion  was 
given  up.  But  there  was  to  be  no  rest  for  Ney,  as  the 
Austrians  were  still  aggressive  on  the  French  frontier. 
The  French  division  — of  which  he  was  the  commander  — 
was  hurried  to  the  Rhine,  where  General  Bernadotte  (the 
French  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Frontier)  was 


230  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


endeavouring  to  capture  a town  called  Manheim,  that  was 
rich  in  stores,  provisions,  and  arms.  General  Ney  in- 
spected the  defences  of  the  place,  and  told  his  superior 
that  it  could  not  be  taken  by  direct  attack,  but  that,  if 
he  would  wait  awhile,  he,  himself,  would  capture  it  by 
stratagem.  Bernadotte  was,  of  course,  rather  dubious 
that  this  could  be  accomplished,  but  Ney  was  not  cast 
down  by  the  difficulties  which  confronted  him,  and,  in  order 
to  find  out  the  lay  of  the  land,  disguised  himself  as  a 
Prussian  peasant  in  poor  circumstances,  crossed  the  Rhine 
in  a small  boat,  and  entered  the  town  with  a basket  under 
his  arm.  Fortunately,  as  he  had  been  born  near  the  border 
between  France  and  Germany,  German  wras  as  easy 
to  speak  as  his  own  tongue,  so  he  aroused  no  suspicion  in 
regard  to  his  true  nationality. 

From  a conversation  with  a citizen,  he  learned  that  — 
at  a certain  time  in  the  evening  — the  drawbridge  was 
let  down  in  order  to  admit  certain  persons  into  the  town. 
This  was  all  he  wished  to  know.  Returning  immediately 
to  his  own  camp,  he  selected  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
his  bravest  men,  crossed  the  river  with  them,  that  evening; 
and  hid  them  near  the  city  gates.  Not  long  afterwards 
the  drawbridge  was  let  down  and  the  little  band  dashed 
into  the  fortifications.  The  garrison  thought  them  more 
numerous  than  they  really  were,  because  of  the  darkness 
of  the  night  which  hid  their  forms,  and,  terrified  at  this 
sudden  and  unexpected  attack;  they  capitulated.  Thus 
the  town  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French  with  scarcely 
any  sacrifice  of  life. 

The  brave  leader  of  this  daring  exploit  was  now  made 
General-of-Division  and  Inspector-General-of-Cavalry,  in 


MARSHAL  NEY 


231 


recognition  of  his  gallant  and  meritorious  services  to 
France.  Soon  afterwards  he  found  himself  in  a position 
to  marry,  for  his  pay  had  been  materially  increased.  The 
woman  of  his  choice  was  a close  friend  of  the  wife  of 
Napoleon  and  was  a beautiful  and  accomplished  girl. 
On  August  the  fourth,  1802,  he  was  united  in  wedlock  to 
Mile.  Aglae  Louise  Anguie,  who  made  a devoted  and 
affectionate  helpmeet. 

Not  long  after  this  event  the  intrepid  warrior  was  employed 
by  Napoleon  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  Switzerland,  a 
country  which  had  submitt  ed  gracelessly  to  F rench  rule.  It 
was  a position  which  required  much  tact  and  diplomacy  — - 
gifts  which  one  would  hardly  expect  a dashing  cavalry- 
man to  possess.  But  Ney  proved  to  be  an  excellent  minister, 
and  had  soon  smoothed  over  the  differences  which  then 
existed  between  that  country  and  France.  Upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  French  Empire  in  1804,  when  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  was  created  Emperor  for  life  — Ney  was  made 
Marshal,  a position  which  he  filled  with  the  greatest  honour. 
In  the  campaign  against  the  Austrians  which  followed 
the  coronation  of  Napoleon,  he  commanded  a division 
at  the  battle  of  Elchingen,  where  he  so  distinguished 
himself  that  he  was  created  Duke  of  Elchingen.  At  the 
battles  of  Jena  and  Friedland  which  followed,  he  did 
splendid  service. 

At  Jena,  the  Emperor  Napoleon  gathered  his  Generals 
together  — before  the  attack  on  the  town- — and  ex- 
plained to  each  one  what  part  he  was  to  take.  In  front 
was  a mass  of  Russian  soldiers  huddled  together  near  the 
river.  A number  of  bridges  spanned  the  stream.  The 
Emperor  seized  Ney  by  the  arm,  pointed  to  the  Russian 


232  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


force  and  to  the  bridges.  “ Yonder  is  the  goal,”  he  said. 
“ March  to  it  without  looking  about  you,  break  into  that 
thick  mass,  whatever  it  costs  you,  enter  Friedland,  take 
the  bridges,  and  give  yourself  no  concern  about  what  may 
happen  on  your  right,  on  your  left,  or  in  the  rear.  The 
army  and  I shall  be  there  to  attend  to  that.”  Ney  waved 
his  sword  and  replied,  “ Aye,  sire,  it  shall  be  done  as 
directed,”  and  galloped  away  writh  his  face  beaming  -with 
satisfaction.  Struck  with  his  magnificent  appearance 
at  this  moment,  Napoleon  turned  to  one  of  his  Generals  — 
Marshal  Mortier  — and  said,  “ That  man  is  a lion.” 

In  1808  Marshal  Ney  was  sent  into  Spain,  where  General 
Wellington  — at  the  head  of  an  English  army  of  some  size 
— was  waging  a successful  campaign  against  Massena : 
one  of  Napoleon’s  most  intelligent  and  able  lieutenants. 
Ney  commanded  an  army  on  the  borders  of  Portugal  — 
for  some  time  — - and  later  joined  forces  with  Massena, 
to  engage  in  the  invasion  of  Portugal.  But  his  heart  was 
not  in  his  venture,  for  he  neither  approved  of  Napoleon’s 
course  towards  the  Spaniards,  nor  did  he  sanction  the  war. 
In  spite  of  this  he  obeyed  orders  like  a good  soldier,  and 
laboured  as  faithfully  and  energetically  in  this  new  field, 
as  he  had  ever  done.  We  are  indebted  to  a French  officer 
for  the  followdng  incident  which  occurred  at  Madrid,  the 
capital  of  Spain. 

“ After  a grand  review  in  the  city,  the  Emperor  entered 
the  room  where  Ney  and  many  of  his  officers  were  as- 
sembled. He  was  in  the  best  of  spirits,  for  he  had  just 
received  some  very  favourable  dispatches.  ‘ Everything 
goes  well,’  said  he.  ‘ Romana  will  be  reduced  in  a fort- 
night, the  English  are  defeated  and  will  be  unable  to 


MARSHAL  NEY 


233 


advance.  In  three  months  the  war  will  be  finished.’  None 
of  the  other  generals  ventured  to  reply,  but  Ney  shoo1:  his 
head  dejectedly,  and  said,  ‘ Sire,  the  war  has  lasted  long 
already  and  I cannot  perceive,  like  you,  that  our  affairs 
are  much  improved.  These  people  are  obstinate,  even 
their  women  and  children  fight,  they  massacre  our  men 
in  detail.  To-day  we  cut  the  enemy  in  pieces,  to-morrow 
we  have  to  oppose  another  army,  twice  as  numerous.  It 
is  not  an  army  we  have  to  fight,  but  a whole  nation.  I see 
no  end  to  the  business.’  While  he  was  speaking,  the  Em- 
peror regarded  him  with  a fixed  look.  When  he  had 
ceased,  he  turned  to  the  other  officers,  and  said,  ‘ Here  the 
people  are  instigated  to  resistance  by  the  clergy,  but  the 
Romans  subdued  them,  so  did  the  Moors,  and  these 
people  are  not  half  as  hardy  as  their  ancestors.  If  Julius 
Caesar  had  been  daunted  by  difficulties,  would  he  have 
conquered  Gaul  ? The  population  is  said  to  be  against  us ; 
this  Spain  is  but  a solitude  - — not  five  inhabitants  to  a 
square  league.  But  let  the  question  be  decided  by  numbers. 
I will  bring  all  Europe  over  the  Pyrenees  and  conquer 
these  people.’  ” 

The  sequel  to  this  war  of  aggression  proved  that  Ney 
was  right  — for  the  French  troops  met  with  severe  re- 
verses and  were  eventually  driven  from  the  country.  Ney 
had  a falling  out  with  Massena,  and,  in  consequence, 
was  relieved  of  his  command.  But  he  had  reduced  a 
portion  of  the  country,  before  he  left,  to  some  sort  of 
orderly  submission,  and  had  succeeded  in  gaining  the  love, 
respect,  and  even  confidence  of  the  people  whom  he  gov- 
erned, — because  of  his  sympathy  and  kindness  of  heart. 

Perhaps  the  best  fighting  which  Ney  did  in  Spain  was 


234  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


at  the  battle  of  Redhira.  It  has  been  well  said  of  him 
that  here  he  was  “ the  grandest  and  bravest  General  of 
all  the  French.”  Opposed  by  twenty-five  thousand  Eng- 
lish he  had,  under  his  command,  but  seven  thousand. 
His  position,  however,  was  upon  some  ragged  heights, 
which  well  made  up  for  the  disadvantage  in  numbers. 
The  English  — drawn  up  in  the  plain  in  front — attempted 
to  outflank  him,  but  he  was  ready  for  them  at  every  turn. 
Generals  Picton  and  Pack  endeavoured  to  climb  the 
heights  to  the  left  and  to  dispute  his  retreat  upon  Redhira, 
while  Generals  Cole  and  Spencer  - — with  other  British 
troops  — advanced  in  deep  columns  to  the  centre.  A 
force  of  light  infantry  crossed  the  river  on  the  right  at 
some  shallow  fords.  But  Ney,  employing  every  arm  with 
equal  presence  of  mind,  began  by  riddling  with  bullets 
Picton’s  troops,  and,  by  destroying  whole  lines,  he  obliged 
them  to  escape  by  an  oblique  movement.  Having  suc- 
ceeded in  mastering  the  heights  after  great  loss,  they  ad- 
vanced against  the  flank  of  Ney  almost  on  a level,  and 
were  within  gunshot,  when  the  latter,  bringing  to  bear 
upon  them  six  guns,  covered  them  with  shot,  and  then 
directed  against  them  a battalion  of  the  27th,  and  one  of 
the  59th,  with  all  his  Trailleurs,  who  had  been  rallied 
and  forced  into  a third  battalion.  These  three,  small 
columns  vigorously  charged  Picton’s  English  with  the 
bayonet,  and  threw  them  to  the  foot  of  the  heights,  after 
killing  and  wounding  a considerable  number. 

In  a few  moments  the  rout,  at  this  spot,  was  complete. 
Lord  Wellington  then  advanced  his  centre  to  rally  and 
rescue  his  right  and  to  attack  the  position  of  the  French 
in  front.  After  a discharge  of  artillery  and  musketry,  Ney 


MARSHAL  NEY 


235 


charged  the  English  with  the  bayonet,  driving  them  to  the 
sloping  ground.  He  then  sent  forward  the  Third  Hussars, 
who  broke  their  first  line  and  sabred  many  of  their  foot. 
At  this  moment  the  confusion  of  the  whole  body  of  the 
English  was  extreme,  and  if  Ney,  by  having  kept  near  him 
the  Marchand  division,  had  been  able  more  fully  to  utilize 
that  of  Mermet,  the  rout  would  have  been  general  and 
irrevocable.  However,  Ney,  — unwilling  to  compromise  his 
troops,— recalled  them ; drew  them  up  in  battle  array,  and 
remained  in  position  another  hour,  continually  breaking 
the  ranks  of  the  English  by  ball.  It  was  now  four  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Lord  Wellington,  touched  to  the  quick 
at  seeing  himself  thus  detained  and  damaged  by  a handful 
of  men,  collected  his  whole  army;  formed  it  in  four  lines; 
and  advanced  with  the  evident  intention  to  force  the  posi- 
tion at  any  cost.  But  Ney  effected  his  retreat  with  the 
same  decision  and  vigour  that  characterized  his  attacks  in 
the  earlier  part  of  the  day. 

Thus  the  battle  of  Redhira  — when  taken  in  connection 
with  the  operations  leading  up  to  it  — -was  a fearless  feat 
of  arms.  Ney’s  positions  were  so  well  chosen  ; his  handful 
of  men  so  skilfully  arranged ; his  manoeuvres  so  brilliant ; 
his  blows  so  daring ; so  hard ; so  well  delivered  ; that  he 
kept  Wellington’s  army  at  bay  for  six  hours.  Wellington 
was  completely  outwitted  and  thought  that  Massena’s 
entire  force  was  before  him.  One  can  well  imagine  how  the 
Iron  Duke  was  deeply  chagrined  when  he  discovered  that 
he  had  been  so  much  deceived  by  the  manoeuvres  of  the 
crafty,  French  Marshal. 

Outnumbered  by  the  English,  Ney  was  forced  to  con- 
tinue his  retreat  before  the  incessant  assaults  of  Lord 


236  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Wellington’s  over-whelming  army.  The  retreat  was  a 
brilliant  one,  and  the  glory  of  it  was  the  only  advantage 
derived  by  Marshal  Ney  from  his  campaigns  in  Spain. 
In  perfect  order  his  own  seven  thousand  men  retired  to 
Miranda  do  Corvo,  where  his  quarrel  with  Massena, 
because  disgusted  with  the  latter’s  laziness  and  lack  of 
spirit,  succeeded  in  his  banishment  from  the  army.  Ney 
had  been  severely  provoked  by  his  commanding  General 
because  he  had  paid  absolutely  no  attention  to  his  own 
wishes  in  conducting  the  campaign ; and  when  Massena 
ordered  another  advance  into  a bleak  and  unfertile  country, 
Ney  flatly  refused  to  go  on  unless  his  superior  officer 
should  show  him  such  an  order  from  the  Emperor.  This, 
of  course,  the  latter  could  not  do  and  he  was  greatly  angered 
by  the  attitude  which  Ney  had  assumed.  So,  in  retalia- 
tion for  his  insubordination,  he  deprived  him  of  his  sword 
and  sent  him  away  from  the  army.  But  this  did  more 
harm  than  good,  for  as  soon  as  he  had  departed,  the  French 
soldiers  fought  with  no  spirit  and  determination,  while 
the  English  — knowing  that  Ney  had  left  - — attacked 
Massena  with  increased  confidence  and  vigour,  so  that 
his  troops  were  immediately  thrown  into  the  greatest 
confusion.  Without  firing  a shot,  a nearly  impregnable 
position  which  they  held  was  abandoned,  and  the  cam- 
paign was  brought  to  a close  with  nothing  but  dishonour 
and  shame  for  Massena.  Ney  was  the  only  French 
General  who  came  out  of  this  warfare  with  unsullied  repu- 
tation. 

A few  years  later  — in  1812  — Napoleon  declared  war 
upon  Russia  and  began  an  advance  upon  that  country 
with  a vast  army.  These  hostilities  were  brought  on  by 


MARSHAL  NEY 


237 


the  fact  that  the  French  Empire  was  becoming  territorially 
dangerous  to  Russia,  because  of  the  gradual  encroachment 
on  its  commerce  and  outlying  dependencies.  The  Czar 
refused  to  be  dictated  to  by  Napoleon  and  so  the  latter 
determined  to  humble  him  in  the  dust,  as  he  had  done 
to  the  other  powers  of  Europe.  Yet  it  was  extremely  im- 
prudent for  the  French  Emperor  to  attack  the  Russians 
at  this  time,  for  a portion  of  the  grand  army  had  been 
severely  whipped  by  Wellington  in  Spain,  as  has  just  been 
shown.  The  imprudent  Napoleon  was  carried  onward 
by  an  intense  love  of  glory  and  confidence  in  his  own 
power  to  accomplish  the  impossible.  In  the  gigantic  pro- 
ject for  this  campaign,  Moscow  was  to  be  the  objective 
point.  The  Emperor  even  expected  to  invade  India,  after 
the  capitulation  of  the  Czar  — whom  he  hoped  to  force 
into  supplying  him  with  men  and  forage.  Marshal  Ney 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  Third  Corps,  numbering 
37,000  men,  and  although  opposed  to  this  foolhardy  in- 
vasion, he  never  fought  more  valiantly  than  during  this 
dreadful  campaign.  Without  his  aid  Napoleon  could  have 
never  had  the  success  that  followed  his  arms,  and  without 
him,  that  small  remnant  of  the  grand  army  that  eventually 
returned,  — would  have  been  left  to  die  on  the  frozen  plains 
of  Russia. 

The  French  army  passed  through  Germany  to  the  Rus- 
sian frontier;  fought  several  sharp  engagements  with 
the  Russians ; and  eventually,  at  Borodino,  defeated  them 
conclusively.  In  this  bloody  affair,  where  two  hundred 
and  seventy  thousand  men  struggled  desperately,  Ney 
behaved  with  such  bravery  that  Napoleon  embraced  him 
on  the  battle-field  and  gave  him  the  well-earned  title  of 


238  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Prince  de  laMoskwa.  The  Russians  fought  like  “ devils,” 
and  although  defeated,  were  not  destroyed.  This  would 
have  been  possible  had  Napoleon  utilized  “ The  Guard  ” 
— a veteran  corps  of  men — but  fearing  the  loss  of  this 
grand  body  of  soldiers,  he  refused  to  put  them  in  where 
needed.  The  French  lost  ten  thousand  killed  and  twenty 
thousand  wounded,  as  a price  for  the  city  of  Moscow, 
which  they  entered  upon  the  day  following  the  battle. 

When  they  rode  through  the  streets  they  found  that 
nearly  all  the  population  had  left,  and  that  the  Rus- 
sian army  had  not  only  carried  off  all  the  supplies,  but 
had  set  fire  to  the  wooden  houses.  The  city  was  rap- 
idly devastated,  and  so,  without  supplies  and  without 
shelter,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  French 
army  to  remain  through  the  winter.  After  waiting  in 
vain  for  the  Czar  to  show  some  signs  of  giving  in  to  his 
demands,  Napoleon  began  to  retreat  to  France  just  as 
cold  weather  was  at  hand.  When  the  army  left  Moscow 
it  consisted  of  about  eighty  thousand  men : when  it 
reached  Smolensk  there  were  only  fifty  thousand  in  the 
ranks.  The  retreat  was  one  continuous  battle  with  the 
Russians,  who  harassed  the  troops  at  every  step  and 
surrounded  the  worn-out  soldiers  with  a crowd  of  fresh 
and  blood-thirsty  Cossacks.  In  this  retreat  Marshal  Ney 
performed  prodigies  of  valour,  and,  by  his  coolness  and 
personal  exertion,  he  saved  the  remnant  of  the  once 
Grand  Army. 

The  situation  of  the  French  troops  was  soon  desperate. 
The  supplies  which  they  had  left  at  the  towns  in  their  rear 
had  been  dissipated  by  those  in  charge,  the  weather  grew 
intensely  cold,  and,  as  there  was  nothing  for  the  horses 


MARSHAL  NEY  IN  THE  RETREAT  EROM  MOSCOW 


MARSHAL  NEY 


239 


to  eat,  they  died  by  the  hundreds.  The  French  infantry- 
men became  disheartened  by  cold  and  famine,  their  shoes 
became  worn  through  so  there  was  no  protection  for  their 
bleeding  feet,  while  lack  of  clothing  and  food  made  it 
impossible  to  keep  the  body  in  proper  strength  for  fighting. 
The  Russians  increased  like  locusts  and  harassed  the 
worn-out  French  at  every  turn.  Only  with  the  greatest 
personal  exertion  and  by  exposing  himself  again  and  again 
in  the  front  of  the  line  of  battle,  could  Ney  keep  his  soldiers 
from  giving  up  in  despair. 

At  length  the  rear  guard  reached  Smolensk,  and  near 
the  river  Losnina,  found  the  passage  barred  by  a large, 
Russian  army.  An  officer  appeared  and  summoned  Ney 
to  surrender,  stating,  in  a flattering  speech,  that  there  were 
80,000  Russians  surrounding  him  and  that  it  would  be 
absolutely  impossible  for  him  to  extricate  his  command. 
As  he  ceased  speaking  the  Russian  batteries  opened  fire 
upon  the  French  outposts.  Ney  heard  them  and  angrily 
replied,  “ A Marshal  of  France  never  surrenders.  There 
is  no  parleying  under  fire.  You  are  my  prisoner,  Sir.” 
So  the  cocky  officer  was  disarmed  and  detained  as  a 
prisoner  until  the  army  reached  Kowno,  for  Ney’s  eight 
thousand  had  soon  eluded  the  surrounding  host  and  made 
a forced  march  to  the  river  Dneiper.  Here  the  gallant 
Marshal  hoped  to  cross  on  the  ice  with  all  his  baggage, 
but  it  was  frozen  so  thinly  that  it  was  found  impracticable 
to  attempt  to  get  the  wagons  to  the  other  side.  At  mid- 
night the  soldiers  walked  across  in  single  file,  while  a few 
women  and  wounded  men  — in  spite  of  the  protests  of 
the  General  — attempted  to  drive  over  in  the  wagons. 
When  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  the  ice  gave  away,  and, 


240  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


with  despairing  shrieks  and  cries  of  fear,  the  luckless 
fugitives  disappeared  in  the  cold  waters  of  the  cruel  river. 

Thus  the  Russians  were  temporarily  evaded,  but  they 
were  soon  again  on  the  flanks  of  Ney’s  devoted  band,  which 
they  attacked  with  the  greatest  fury.  Three  times  the 
rear  guard  melted  away  beneath  Ney’s  eyes,  by  death, 
captivity,  or  flight,  and  three  times  it  was  reorganized 
by  the  courageous  Marshal.  Finally,  with  only  thirty  men, 
he  defended  the  gate  of  Kowno,  which  was  the  last  place 
on  Russian  soil  through  which  the  French  army  passed 
in  its  awful  retreat.  Bidding  his  soldiers  to  escape  to  the 
other  end  of  the  town,  he  fired  the  last  shot  against  the 
Cossacks,  threw  his  gun  into  the  river  Niemen,  and 
plunged  alone  into  the  forests  in  order  to  elude  his  pursuers. 

Napoleon  was  at  Orcha,  breakfasting  with  some  officers, 
when  he  heard  that  Marshal  Ney  had  rejoined  the  ranks 
of  the  French.  Jumping  from  the  chair  in  which  he  was 
sitting,  in  a transport  of  delight,  he  exclaimed,  “ I have 
saved  my  eagles,  then,  I have  three  hundred  millions  in 
my  coffers  at  the  Tuilleries  which  I would  have  ransomed 
my  Marshal  with  had  he  been  captured.  I would  willingly 
have  given  them  all  to  save  Marshal  Ney.”  Soon  after- 
wards the  brave  leader  of  the  Rear  Guard  was  admitted 
to  his  presence.  “What  a man!  What  a soldier!”  the 
Emperor  exclaimed,  as  he  threw  his  arms  about  him. 
“ Better  an  army  commanded  by  a lion  than  an  army  of 
lions  commanded  by  a deer.  You,  my  dear  Ney,  have 
been,  and  always  will  be,  as  strong  as  a mighty  lion.” 

During  the  retreat,  Napoleon  had  frequently  asked  his 
aids  if  there  was  any  news  of  the  Rear  Guard,  and  Marshal 
Ney.  He  showed  inexpressible  anguish  when  told  that 


MARSHAL  NEY 


241 


nothing  had  been  heard  of  him,  and  exclaimed,  “ Ney 
has  a thoroughly  tempered  soul.  How  true,  how  accurate 
his  knowledge  of  war.  How  admirable  his  military 
qualities ! What  a man  he  is ! I have  few  men  about  me 
who  have  any  real  energy,  firmness,  or  moral  force.  How 
badly  am  I served.  To  whom  have  I trusted  myself? 
Poor  Ney,  whose  noble  form  I fear  that  my  eyes  shall  never 
look  upon  again.” 

General  Count  Dumas  gives  an  excellent  picture  of  the 
brave  Ney  at  this  time  and  after  his  appearance  among  his 
own  troops.  “ At  length,”  he  says,  “ we  were  out  of  that 
accursed  country — the  Russian  territory — the  Cossacks 
no  longer  pursued  us  with  the  same  ardour.  In  proportion 
as  we  advanced  into  the  Prussian  territory,  we  found 
better  quarters  and  more  resources.  The  first  place  at 
which  we  were  able  to  take  breath  was  Wilkoski,  and  the 
next,  Gumbinnen,  where  I put  up  at  the  house  of  a phy- 
sician which  I had  occupied  when  I passed  through  the 
town  before.  Some  excellent  coffee  had  just  been  brought 
us  for  our  breakfast  when  a man  in  a great,  brown  coat 
entered.  He  had  a long  beard,  his  face  was  blackened 
and  looked  as  if  it  were  burnt.  His  eyes  were  red  and 
brilliant.  ‘ At  length  I am  here,’  said  he.  ‘ Why, 
General  Dumas,  don’t  you  know  me  ? ’ ‘No,  who  are  you  ? ’ 

‘ I am  the  rear  guard  of  the  army.  I have  thrown  into  the 
Niemen  the  last  of  our  arms  and  have  come  hither  through 
the  woods.  I am  Marshal  Ney  ! ’ I leave  you  to  imagine 
with  what  respectful  eagerness  we  welcomed  the  hero  of 
the  Russian  retreat.” 

At  last  the  battered  remains  of  the  grand  army  for  the 
Russian  invasion,  came  back  to  France.  But  there  was 


242  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


to  be  no  peace  for  Napoleon,  for  new  coalition  between 
Prussia,  England,  and  Russia  was  formed  against  him, 
and  he  had  to  fight  in  order  to  preserve  his  position  on  the 
French  throne.  In  1814  he  employed  his  great  Marshal 
in  his  campaign  against  these  Allies,  and  was  so  well  satisfied 
by  his  handling  of  troops  at  the  battle  of  Liitzen  and 
Bautzen,  that  he  publicly  congratulated  him.  Subse- 
quently Marshal  Ney  was  defeated  with  great  loss  at 
Danewitz,  by  Bernadotte,  then  Crown  Prince  of  Sweden, 
but  at  one  time  a French  General  under  whom  Ney  him- 
self had  seen  service.  As  was  only  natural,  this  defeat 
brought  upon  him  the  displeasure  of  Napoleon,  and  he 
was  little  employed  during  the  rest  of  the  campaign,  in 
which  the  Allies  showed  themselves  to  be  too  strong  for 
the  once  invincible  Emperor  of  the  French.  The  French 
Ruler  was  forced  back  into  Paris ; the  capital  of  the  French 
nation  was  captured,  and  he  was  allowed  to  abdicate  in 
favour  of  the  Bourbons.  Sent,  in  captivity,  to  the  island  of 
Elba,  this  restless  man  of  Destiny  was  not  to  remain  there  for 
any  length  of  time.  In  a year  he  had  escaped  again  to  the 
shores  of  France  and  had  begun  a triumphant  march  to 
Paris. 

An  army  — under  the  command  of  Marshal  Ney  — 
was  sent  to  capture  him,  and  the  gallant  General  promised 
King  Louis  the  Eighteenth,  that  he  would  bring  the  ex- 
Emperor  to  Paris,  “ like  a beast  in  a cage.”  There  is 
little  doubt  that  he  intended  to  do  so,  but  when  he  found 
that  every-one  was  turning  to  the  side  of  the  Emperor, 
he  wavered  in  his  intention.  Even  his  own  troops  refused 
to  take  their  former  leader  prisoner,  and,  as  they  advanced 
against  him,  Ney  received  a letter  from  the  Emperor, 


MARSHAL  NEY 


243 


calling  him  many  flattering  names  and  asking  him  to  join 
his  old  master  beneath  the  tricolour  of  the  standard  which 
they  had  both  fought  for  so  gloriously  in  days  gone  by. 
Seized  with  the  contagion  that  was  everywhere  apparent, 
he,  himself,  went  over  to  the  Emperor,  and,  on  March 
20th  Napoleon  reentered  the  Tuilleries  which  Louis  the 
Eighteenth — the  Bourbon  King — had  quitted  the  day 
before.  Thus  without  firing  a gun  or  shedding  a drop  of 
blood,  he  had  reinstated  himself  in  power  and  had  re- 
established his  Empire. 

But  he  soon  found  that  he  must  fight  in  order  to  sustain 
his  position.  Every  country  in  Europe  was  against  him, 
and  an  army  of  Austrians,  Prussians,  English,  and  Rus- 
sians, menaced  the  frontier  of  France,  fully  prepared  to 
attack  when  the  opportunity  offered  itself.  Napoleon 
saw  his  danger  and  realized  that  a victory  in  Belgium 
might  create  a different  sentiment  both  at  home  and 
abroad;  consequently  he  crossed  the  Sambre  with  one 
hundred  and  twenty-four  thousand  men,  expecting  to 
surprise  the  Prussians,  under  Bliicher;  rout  this  army; 
and  defeat  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who  was  nearby  with 
a large,  English  force.  The  French  advanced  against 
both  these  adversaries  divided  into  three  Corps:  the 
right  wing  under  Grouchy;  the  centre  under  Napoleon; 
and  the  left  under  Marshal  Ney,  who  had  been  summoned 
to  join  the  army  on  the  very  day  on  which  the  campaign 
opened.  He  had  not  known  until  the  last  moment  that 
he  was  to  be  employed,  and  was  assigned  to  command  a 
body  of  troops  which  he  had  never  seen  before.  He  ar- 
rived at  headquarters  without  any  staff  or  confidential 
officers ; and  when  ordered  by  the  Emperor  to  put  himself 


244  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


at  the  head  of  the  First  and  Second  Corps  of  Infantry  and 
several  divisions  of  cavalry,  — they  were  already  in 
action. 

In  the  fierce  fighting  that  followed,  Ney  stands  out  as 
the  greatest  hero  of  the  occasion.  Napoleon  was  clearly 
not  the  Napoleon  of  old  — he  was  lacking  in  his  earlier 
fire  and  keenness  of  perception.  But  Ney  wTas  the  same 
Ney  of  all  times : brave,  dashing,  courageous,  - — The 
Bravest  of  the  Brave.  On  the  16th  of  June  he  attacked 
Wellington  at  Quatre  Bras  and  handled  his  troops  so 
well  that  the  Iron  Duke  was  checked  in  his  attempt  to 
advance.  He  was  forced  to  fall  back  upon  Waterloo, 
where  he  concentrated  his  men  in  order  to  make  a deter- 
mined resistance  to  the  superior  numbers  which  were 
before  him,  for  Napoleon  had  now  joined  with  Ney  after 
beating  the  Prussians  at  Ligny.  They  had  fled,  and  Gen- 
eral Grouchy  had  been  sent  after  them  with  strict  orders 
not  to  allow  this  force  to  join  with  Wellington. 

On  the  day  following,  Ney  acted  as  the  Emperor’s 
chief  Lieutenant,  and  here  at  Waterloo,  he  led  his  last 
charge.  Skirmishing  between  the  English  and  the  French 
began  in  the  morning  and  soon  the  battle  opened.  In  the 
earlier  part  of  the  day  neither  side  had  the  advantage, 
but  in  the  afternoon  Ney  captured  La  Haye  Sainte,  a 
strongly  fortified  farm-house  and  the  key  to  the  English 
line,  for  it  was  scarcely  three  hundred  yards  from  Welling- 
ton’s front.  This  made  the  position  of  the  English  army 
an  extremely  critical  one.  Napoleon  saw  the  situation, 
with  the  eye  of  a born  soldier,  and  determined  to  stake 
his  empire  on  a single  charge.  So  he  ordered  Marshal 
Ney  to  penetrate  the  English  centre  with  the  cavalry. 


MARSHAL  NEY 


245 


The  intrepid  Marshal  had  expected  to  be  sustained  by 
infantry,  but  clouds  of  Prussians  were  advancing  on  the 
right,  so  that  Napoleon  had  to  send  Lobou’s  corps  and  the 
Young  Guard  to  repel  their  attack.  These  were  Bliicher’s 
troops,  which  had  outmarched  General  Grouchy  and 
were  hurrying  to  the  relief  of  Wellington.  It  was  there- 
fore absolutely  necessary  for  Ney  to  break  the  English 
centre.  Should  he  not  do  so,  — defeat  stared  Napoleon 
in  the  face. 

The  cavalry  column  now  charged  up  the  hill  to  the 
plateau  where  Wellington  stood  like  a rock.  Ney  had 
even  put  in  the  reserve  cavalry  in  order  to  increase  his 
force.  He  confidently  expected  to  carry  all  before  him, 
but  the  Englishmen  formed  hollow  squares  and  held  their 
own  against  the  swarms  of  French  horsemen  as  they  came 
up  the  slope.  The  artillery  cut  great  gaps  in  the  lines 
of  the  cuirassiers.  They  were  driven  from  the  plateau  in 
confusion.  Ney  had  two  horses  shot  under  him ; he  was 
wounded,  bleeding,  his  face  blackened  with  smoke  and 
burnt  powder;  but  nothing  could  curb  his  impetuous 
spirit.  “ Forward,  Frenchmen  ! ” he  called.  “ Let  us 
drive  the  English  from  the  hill ! ” 

Eleven  times  he  rode  up  at  the  head  of  the  cavalry  and- 
eleven  times  he  was  repulsed.  At  seven  o’clock  the  last 
charge  was  made  and  it  was  growing  dark.  The  cavalry- 
men were  exhausted  with  their  efforts  to  crush  the  stub- 
born Red-Coats ; they  were  helplessly  confused  and  their 
organization  was  gone.  To  add  to  the  disaster,  fresh, 
Prussian  troops  were  coming  up  on  the  right,  where  the 
Young  Guard  had  been  so  defeated  that  the  soldiers  were 
falling  back  in  retreat.  At  this  propitious  moment, 


246  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Wellington  saw  that  he,  himself,  could  go  forward.  “ Up, 
Guards,  and  at  them  ! ” he  shouted  to  his  men. 

They  rose  en  masse  at  this  command,  and  the 
English  army  advanced  down  the  hill  where  the  Old 
Guard  stood  like  stone  images.  “ Surrender  ! ” shouted 
the  Red-Coats.  “ The  Old  Guard  dies  but  never 
surrenders  ! ” replied  the  French.  Napoleon  himself  was 
with  this  favourite  body  of  troops ; crazed  with  mortifica- 
tion and  grief.  He  drew  his  sword;  rushed  out  towards 
the  enemy;  and  attempted  to  die  before  the  English 
bullets.  But  his  generals  surrounded  him;  placed  him 
upon  his  horse;  turned  towards  Paris;  and  fled.  Ney 
cheered  on  the  disheartened  French;  formed  the  Old 
Guard  into  squares,  and  vainly  endeavoured  to  stem  the 
advance  of  the  victorious  English  and  Prussians.  It  was 
useless ! They  were  mowed  down  like  wheat  before  the 
reaper’s  scythe.  They  broke ! They  crumbled ! They 
fled  ! and  Ney — the  hero  of  the  hour — the  bravest  man 
in  all  that  defeated  army — was  carried  back  to  Paris  in 
the  retreating  tide.  Bonaparte;  his  army;  and  his  Em- 
pire ; ceased  to  exist  as  a power  on  that  day.  The  glorious 
light  of  Napoleon’s  ambition  was  extinguished  on  the  field 
of  Waterloo. 

Wellington  and  Bliicher  marched  to  Paris;  in  a few 
days  the  city  capitulated,  and  the  Bourbons  were  again 
upon  the  throne.  Ney  foresaw  the  consequences  of  his  act 
in  deserting  the  Bourbon  King  for  the  Emperor  Napoleon, 
and  secreted  himself  in  a Chateau,  but  unfortunately 
he  was  discovered,  and  soon  brought  to  trial.  His  friends 
tried  unsuccessfully  to  have  him  arraigned  before  a council 
of  war,  composed  of  the  Marshals  of  France,  but  he  was 


MARSHAL  NEY 


247 


judged  by  the  Chamber  of  Peers  by  express  direction  of 
the  King’s  ministers.  It  was  not  strange  that  he  was 
found  guilty  of  treason  to  the  Crown,  for  he  had  deserted 
in  favour  of  Napoleon  when  sent  to  capture  him.  History 
tells  us  that  he  was  shot  on  December  the  7th,  1815. 

But  although  this  is  the  popular  idea  concerning  him, 
he  was  not  shot.  He  escaped  to  the  United  States, 
settled  in  the  Carolinas,  and  there  taught  school  for  a great 
many  years.  He  died  there  when  quite  an  old  man,  and, 
according  to  the  statements  of  those  who  were  beside  him 
when  he  breathed  his  last,  he  declared  repeatedly  that  he 
was  Napoleon’s  great  Marshal.  The  testimony,  too,  of 
those  who  knew  him  at  the  time  bears  conclusive  witness 
that  he  was  no  imposter.  According  to  his  own  declaration, 
when  the  soldiers  fired  at  him  (at  his  supposed  assassination) 
they  shot  above  his  head,  and,  as  he  fell  upon  his  face,  he 
struck  a small  bag  upon  his  chest  which  contained  a red 
liquid  resembling  blood.  This  broke  and  gave  the  im- 
pression to  those  who  viewed  him  that  he  was  grievously 
wounded.  He  was  placed  in  a cart  and  carried  away  from 
the  scene  of  his  supposed  execution,  only  to  be  disguised 
and  smuggled  aboard  a sailing  vessel  by  military  friends. 
It  was  his  hope  to  some  day  return  to  France,  but  this  was 
never  possible  because  of  the  non-restoration  of  Napoleon. 
Thus,  far  from  the  scenes  of  his  many  exploits  and  ad- 
ventures, the  gallant  Marshal  of  France  — the  Bravest 
of  the  Brave  — passed  into  oblivion  among  a people  who 
still  retain  the  Democratic  forms  of  Government  for  which 
he  himself  fought ; and  away  from  a people  who  soon 
discarded  the  very  reforms  for  which  he  had  so  zealously 
laboured. 


JOACHIM  MURAT : THE  GREAT  NAPOLEONIC 
LEADER  OF  HORSE 

[1771  — 1815] 

SOME -ONE  asked  Napoleon,  one  day,  what  his 
opinion  was  of  his  great  leaders  of  cavalry,  Ney  and 
Murat.  “ They  were  two  of  the  bravest  men  I have 
ever  known,”  he  replied.  “ Murat,  however,  had  a much 
braver  character  than  Ney  : Murat  was  generous  and  open, 
while  Ney  had  common  blood  in  his  veins.  With  respect 
to  physical  courage,  it  was  impossible  for  Murat  and  Ney 
not  to  be  brave;  but  no  men  ever  possessed  less  moral 
courage,  the  former  in  particular.” 

Again  he  drew  an  excellent  picture  of  Murat,  when 
asked  his  views  about  him  by  an  English  General  who  was 
stationed  to  watch  him  at  St.  Helena,  where  he  spent 
his  declining  years. 

“ Murat,”  he  said,  “ was  the  best  cavalry  officer  in  the 
world.  There  wTere  not,  I believe,  two  such  officers  in  the 
universe  as  Murat  for  the  cavalry,  and  Druot  for  the 
artillery.  Murat  was  a most  singular  character.  Four- 
and-twenty  years  ago,  when  he  was  a Captain,  I made  him 
my  aid-de-camp,  and  subsequently  raised  him  to  what  he 
was.  He  loved,  I may  say  adored  me.  In  my  presence 
he  was,  as  it  were,  struck  with  awe,  and  ready  to  fall  at  my 
feet.  I acted  wrong  in  having  him  separated  from  me, 

248 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


249 


as,  without  me,  he  was  nothing.  With  me,  he  was  my  right 
arm.  Order  Murat  to  attack  and  destroy  five  thousand 
men  in  such  a direction,  it  was  done  in  a moment;  but 
leave  him  to  himself,  he  was  an  imbecile  without  judgment. 
I cannot  conceive  how  so  brave  a man  could  be  so  change- 
able. He  was  nowhere  brave  save  before  the  enemy. 
There  he  was  probably  the  bravest  man  in  the  world. 
His  boiling  courage  carried  him  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy, 
covered  with  feathers  and  glittering  with  gold.  How  he 
escaped  my  wars  is  a miracle,  being  always  a distinguished 
mark,  and  fired  at  by  everybody.  Even  the  Cossacks 
admired  him  on  account  of  his  extraordinary  bravery. 
Every  day — during  the  advance  in  Russia  — Murat 
was  engaged  in  single  combat  with  one  of  them,  and  never 
returned  without  his  sabre  dripping  with  the  blood  of  some 
of  those  whom  he  had  slain.  He  was  a marvel  in  the  field ; 
but  take  him  into  the  Cabinet,  he  was  a poltroon  without 
judgment  or  decision.” 

Joachim  Murat  was  a man  of  the  most  striking,  personal 
appearance  and  had  a tremendous  reputation  for  valour 
among  the  common  people.  To  the  masses  in  France 
he  was  the  greatest  hero  of  the  Napoleonic  wars;  for  his 
size,  strength,  and  deeds  of  heroism,  were  written-up 
in  the  newspapers  by  the  reporters  of  the  day  and  spread 
broadcast  over  the  entire  land.  He  possessed  a command- 
ing presence;  a majestic  countenance;  large,  sparkling, 
blue  eyes;  dark,  waving  hair,  which  fell  in  long  ringlets 
over  the  collar  of  his  uniform ; and  side-whiskers  of  con- 
siderable length.  He  dressed  in  the  most  extraordinary 
style  imaginable ; and  put  on  such  an  ill-assorted  mixture 
of  colours,  that  he  looked  more  like  a player  from  the 


250  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


circus  than  a General-of-Cavalry.  His  clothes  were  bor- 
rowed from  all  ages  and  countries  and  seemed  to  be  more 
what  a barbarian  King  would  wear  than  a civilized  French- 
man. Next  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  who  wore  only 
sombre  colours,  he  looked  like  a mountebank. 

“ His  coat  consisted  of  a Polish  dress,”  says  the  Baron 
Von  Odeloben,  “ the  collar  of  which  was  richly  embroid- 
ered with  gold,  and  the  sleeves  were  open  below  the 
shoulder;  it  was  confined  with  a golden  belt,  to  which 
was  suspended  a light  sword,  with  a straight,  narrow 
blade,  of  the  ancient,  Roman  fashion,  the  handle  of  which 
was  beautifully  ornamented  with  rubies,  sapphires,  and 
other  precious  stones.  Underneath  the  coat  were  full 
pantaloons  of  a purple  or  blood  colour,  with  the  seams 
trimmed  with  gold,  and,  his  boots  were  of  yellow  leather. 
He  wore  over  the  whole  — in  cold  weather  — a superb, 
velvet  pelisse  of  a deep,  green  colour,  trimmed  with  sables. 
In  his  hat  was  a snow-white  plume  which  towered  to  an 
immense  height  and  was  composed  of  four,  large  ostrich 
feathers,  diverging  at  right  angle,  from  the  centre  of  which 
sprang  a magnificent  heron’s  plume.  This  splendid  orna- 
ment arose  out  of  a huge,  cocked  hat,  having  a broad, 
gold  border,  and  edged  with  white,  ostrich  feathers.  The 
trappings  of  his  horse  were  of  the  Hungarian  or  Turkish 
fashion : the  animal  was  covered  with  a trailing  blue  or 
purple  housing,  richly  embroidered  with  gold,  while  fine, 
gilt  stirrups  and  a magnificent  bridle,  completed  the  show. 
The  livery  of  his  equerries,  pages  and  servants,  was  some- 
times of  a deep  red,  or  more  frequently  of  a sky  blue,  which 
seemed  to  be  his  favourite  colour.  It  must  be  owned,” 
continues  the  Baron,  “ that  this  mixture  of  Swedish, 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


251 


Spanish,  Roman,  Turkish,  and  Neapolitan  fashions, 
notwithstanding  its  splendour,  exhibited  no  taste.” 

In  spite  of  this  love  of  finery,  colour,  and  display ; Murat 
— as  Napoleon  says  - — was  a cavalry  leader  of  extraordi- 
nary courage  when  in  battle.  His  youth  had  been  an  in- 
auspicious one,  as  he  was  the  son  of  a poor  tavern  keeper, 
and  was  so  dissipated  and  wild  when  a boy,  that  he  was 
dismissed  from  the  Church  school  to  which  his  father  had 
sent  him.  In  spite  of  this,  his  good  parent  took  him  back 
to  his  heart  and  allowed  him  to  assist  in  the  stabling  of 
horses  at  the  Inn.  This  life  was  as  distasteful  to  him  as 
the  days  of  study  in  the  school,  so,  in  1787,  he  enlisted  in 
a regiment  of  French  chasseurs  and  remained  with  them 
until  severely  punished  for  some  misconduct.  He  then 
deserted  — hastened  to  Paris  — and  was  soon  in  such  a 
needy  condition  that  he  was  forced  to  seek  employment 
as  a waiter  in  a restaurant.  He  left  this  work  to  become 
a private  in  the  constitutional  guards  of  Louis  XVI,  but, 
as  the  regiment  was  soon  disbanded,  he  was  again  forced 
to  look  for  another  means  of  earning  a livelihood.  Finally 
the  unfortunate  young  man  became  a Lieutenant  in  the 
Eleventh  Regiment  of  chasseurs,  in  which  he  served  during 
the  stormy  scenes  at  Paris  which  surrounded  the  end  of 
the  rule  of  King  Louis  XVI  and  the  beginning  of  the 
Directory  with  Napoleon  Bonaparte  as  First  Consul. 

The  young  soldier  was  burning  with  ardour  and  zeal, 
and  soon  distinguished  himself,  after  finding  employment 
with  the  great  Napoleon,  in  his  first,  Italian  campaign. 
The  Leader  of  the  French  army  liked  the  boisterous 
Murat  and  appointed  him  his  principal  aid-de-camp, 
with  the  rank  of  Colonel-of- Cavalry,  — a position  in  which 


252  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  soon  had  an  opportunity  to  display  his  fire,  dash,  and 
love  for  fighting.  At  Mondoir  — a small  and  insignificant 
town  — the  forces  of  the  French  and  Italians  were  soon 
engaged  in  a furious  struggle,  in  which  a strong  redoubt  — 
the  key  to  the  Italian  position  — was  held  by  a consider- 
able force.  Finally,  after  superhuman  efforts  on  the  part 
of  the  French  infantry,  the  redoubt  was  carried,  and  Murat 
— with  his  cavalry  — precipitated  himself  upon  the 
squadrons  of  Piedmontese  horse.  A desperate  encounter 
took  place,  but  nothing  could  withstand  the  onrush  of  the 
French;  the  Italians  broke  and  fled  in  confusion,  followed 
for  miles  by  the  horsemen  of  Murat.  He,  himself,  was 
in  the  thick  of  the  fray;  cut  down  many  men  with  his 
sabre ; and,  although  recklessly  exposing  himself  on  the  line 
of  battle,  did  not  receive  a scratch.  It  was  his  first  success- 
ful engagement  and  Napoleon  was  warm  in  his  congratu- 
lations. So  highly  did  the  Directory  consider  his  merits, 
that  when  he  shortly  afterwards  visited  Paris  bearing 
twenty-one  strands  of  colours  as  witness  to  the  victories 
in  Italy,  the  members  were  overjoyed  and  conferred  upon 
him  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General. 

Napoleon  speaks  most  highly  of  the  fiery  Murat  in  his 
memoirs  of  his  first  campaign  in  Italy.  “ At  Mincio,” 
he  says,  “ the  bold  Murat  charged  the  enemy’s  cavalry 
like  a whirlwind  and  obtained  an  important  success  for 
my  arms.  It  was  the  first  time  that  the  French  cavalry  — 
because  of  its  bad  condition  — had  measured  its  strength 
with  the  Austrian  cavalry,  and  from  this  time  the  French 
cavalry  emulated  the  French  infantry.”  Murat  was  in 
the  battle  of  Rwoliand  and  Tagliamento,  where  his 
conduct  also  won  his  chief’s  applause,  and  in  the  expedi- 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


253 


tion  to  Egypt,  which  was  made  after  the  successful  climax 
of  the  Italian  campaign,  the  inn-keeper’s  son  was  attached 
to  the  engineer  corps,  where  his  skill  and  bravery  was 
marvelled  at  by  all. 

Murat  next  sailed  with  his  General-in-Chief  for  Egypt, 
where  Napoleon  overthrew  the  Mamelukes  at  the  Battle 
of  the  Pyramids,  and,  advancing  through  the  country  into 
Palestine,  defeated  the  Turks  with  enormous  slaughter, 
but  received  a severe  check  at  Acre.  On  his  return  to 
Egypt,  however,  he  won  a brilliant  victory  over  the  Egyp- 
tians at  Aboukir,  where  Murat  distinguished  himself  by 
his  great  courage  and  heroism.  “ Murat,”  says  Napoleon, 
“ was  superb  at  Aboukir.  His  genius  and  daring  was 
matched  by  no  one.”  In  this  fight  the  French  soldiers 
formed  hollow  squares  against  which  the  hostile  horsemen 
hurled  themselves  repeatedly,  but  they  were  unable  to 
penetrate  through  the  lines  of  fixed  bayonets.  Tiring  of 
this  form  of  warfare,  the  impetuous  Murat  rushed  into  the 
open,  and  single-handed,  attacked  several  of  the  dusky 
Arabs  who  were  forming  for  another  charge.  He  felled 
one  of  them  with  a blow  from  his  sword,  but  was  soon 
beset  on  all  sides  and  was  cut  in  the  arm  by  a lance  thrust. 
He  would  have  surely  been  killed,  had  not  a body  of  French 
cuirassiers  galloped  to  the  rescue,  at  this  moment, 
and  brought  him  back  into  the  French  lines.  All  were 
electrified  by  this  gallant  exploit. 

Finding  now  that  matters  were  in  great  confusion  in 
France,  Napoleon,  without  consulting  the  home  govern- 
ment, left  the  army  in  Egypt,  and  embarking  secretly 
on  a French  frigate,  returned  to  his  own  country.  He 
found  that  the  Directory — or  governing  body — had 


254  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


failed,  and  that  anarchy  prevailed.  The  general  of  the 
Egyptian  army  felt  that  his  was  the  genius  to  conceive  and 
execute  the  bold  deed  of  severing  the  reins  of  government 
and  declaring  himself  First  Consul. 

So  on  the  ioth  of  November,  1799,  he  entered  the 
Chamber  of  the  Ancients  and  protested  against  the  Con- 
stitution under  which  the  members  were  formed.  Leaving 
the  Senators  overwhelmed  with  surprise  at  his  remarks,  he 
walked  to  the  Council  of  the  Five  Hundred  — the  other 
governing  body  — accompanied  by  about  twenty  officers 
and  grenadiers,  among  whom  was  Murat.  Napoleon  re- 
proached the  members  vehemently  for  their  misrule, 
refused  to  swear  to  the  Constitution,  and  declared  that 
the  Directory  was  an  incompetent  body.  He  was  received 
with  cries  of  “ Outlaw  him  ! Down  with  the  Dictator ! ” 
and,  frightened  by  their  display  of  unfriendliness,  he 
went  outside,  where  he  mounted  his  horse  and  made  a 
stirring  speech  to  the  troops.  “ Soldiers,  can  I count  on 
you  to  aid  me?”  he  asked.  “ Yes,  yes,”  shouted  the 
military  men.  “ Clear  the  hall,  then,”  cried  the  First 
Consul,  turning  to  Murat.  “ It  shall  be  as  you  say,” 
replied  his  aid,  and  rushing  into  the  assembly  room  with 
his  grenadiers,  he  soon  had  driven  out  the  infuriated 
members  and  had  placed  Napoleon  upon  the  consular 
throne. 

Napoleon  immediately  began  to  assert  his  power  and 
was  soon  at  war  with  Austria.  In  the  spring  of  the  year 
1800,  having  made  the  enemy  believe  that  he  was  about 
to  attack  Germany  near  the  Rhine,  he  secretly  led  his  army 
across  the  Alps  and  swept  down  upon  the  Austrians  en- 
camped in  the  valley  of  the  Po.  A furious  struggle  began 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


255 


at  Marengo,  which  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  Na- 
poleon’s battles.  “ The  battle  was  bloody,”  says  Napoleon 
in  his  memoirs,  and  one  of  his  Marshals  wrote  afterwards, 
“ In  my  division  the  bones  were  crackling  like  a shower 
of  hail  falling  on  a sky- light.”  Murat  was  a general  of 
division  in  this  campaign  and  conducted  himself  with  such 
great  bravery  that  he  received  the  congratulations  of  the 
First  Consul,  who  placed  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  after 
the  battle  of  Marengo,  and  said,  “ Had  I more  men  like 
you,  my  brave  Murat,  we  would  soon  quench  the  power 
of  Austria,  like  a fire-brand  with  a bucket  of  water.” 

The  attack  at  this  famous  battle  began  at  an  early  hour, 
and  was  so  furious  on  the  part  of  the  Austrians,  that  an  en- 
tire division  of  the  French  army  (General  Victor’s)  was  so 
broken,  that  his  soldiers  retired  in  confusion  across  the 
plain  with  cries  of  “ All  is  lost.”  Seeing  that  things  were 
going  badly  with  his  men,  Napoleon  hurried  up  with  the 
reserves.  The  sight  of  the  great  leader  with  his  brilliant 
staff  and  two  hundred  horse  grenadiers,  in  bright  uniforms 
and  high,  fur  caps,  gave  renewed  courage  to  the  fugitives, 
and  so  inspired  them,  that  they  rallied  near  a small  village. 
At  this  juncture  Napoleon  rode  up  to  Marshal  Desaix,  who 
was  holding  his  troops  well  in  hand,  under  a furious  fire 
from  the  Austrian  gunners.  “ Well,”  said  the  General, 
“ affairs  are  going  on  badly,  the  battle  is  lost;  I can  only 
secure  the  retreat.  Is  this  not  so?  ” “ It  is  quite  the  re- 
verse,” replied  the  First  Consul,  “ to  me  the  result  of  the 
battle  has  never  been  in  doubt.  The  battle  is  gained.” 
And,  with  this  cheerful  remark,  he  hastened  to  concentrate 
the  cavalry  corps  for  a mighty  charge.  “ Soldiers ! we 
have  now  retired  far  enough.  You  know  that  I am  in  the 


256  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


habit  of  sleeping  upon  the  field  of  battle,”  said  Napoleon, 
as  he  rode  along  the  line.  “ Charge,  and  retrieve  the  for- 
tunes of  the  day.”  With  a wild  cheer  the  soldiers  again 
renewed  the  fight  and,  after  a desperate  charge  by  the 
cavalry,  the  Austrians  were  driven  in  confusion  from  the 
field. 

Murat  had  fought  well  in  this  campaign,  and  had  gained 
the  reputation  of  having  the  fiercest  courage  in  battle.  He 
was  affable,  polished  and  gallant,  qualities  which  appealed 
with  equal  force  to  both  men  and  women.  A close  intimacy 
sprang  up  between  himself  and  the  sister  of  Napoleon  — 
Caroline  Bonaparte  — which  subsequently  ripened  into 
love.  To  her  the  brilliant  aid-de-camp  was  married  on 
the  20th  of  January,  1800,  and  from  now  on  the  great  leader 
of  cavalry  had  aspirations  for  glory  and  renown  which 
proved  to  be  his  undoing.  In  1802  he  was  made  Governor 
of  the  Cisalpine  Republic,  and  two  years  later  was  created 
a Marshal  of  the  Empire  and  commander  of  the  Paris 
National  Guard.  In  the  next  year  he  took  part  in  the 
campaign  of  Austerlitz,  which  ended  most  gloriously  for 
the  fortunes  of  Napoleon,  and  which  placed  France  in  a 
position  of  power  and  influence  which  she  has  never  held 
since  that  time. 

Russia,  Austria,  England,  and  Sweden  were  in  a 
military  alliance  against  France,  and  hovered  upon  the 
borders  of  the  French  country  with  detached  armies  of 
many  thousand  men.  Against  these  the  genius  of  Napo- 
leon was  pitted,  and  against  them  he  marched  with  forces 
of  one-half  their  number,  to  disperse,  if  possible,  the  over- 
whelming numbers  of  the  enemy.  An  army  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  men  was  moved  forward  towards 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


257 


the  Rhine,  and  in  this  force  Murat  had  charge  of  the 
cavalry  corps.  A body  of  four  thousand  Austrians,  dis- 
patched by  General  Mack  (the  Austrian  commander) 
to  aid  another  wing  of  his  army,  were  surrounded  and  cut 
to  pieces  by  the  impetuous  Frenchman,  and  to  deliver  him- 
self from  capture,  the  Austrian  retreated.  At  Elchingen 
Murat  captured  a large  part  of  the  Austrian  army  under 
Werneck.  This  broke  the  back  of  the  courageous  Mack, 
who  subsequently  capitulated  at  Ulm  with  thirty-thousand 
men.  No  sooner  was  the  victory  won  than  Murat  was 
dispatched  by  Napoleon  to  seize  a bridge  near  Vienna,  in 
order  to  cut  off  a second  Austrian  army  which  was  march- 
ing to  wreak  vengeance  upon  the  victorious,  French  troops. 
But  the  enemy  escaped  the  bold  leader  of  cavalry  and  con- 
centrated near  Austerlitz,  where  Napoleon  had  decided  to 
give  battle  to  this  fresh  army.  “ Examine  this  locality 
well,”  he  said  to  his  officers.  “ In  a few  days  this  will  be 
our  field  of  battle.” 

Napoleon  had  ninety  thousand  men;  against  him  was 
the  Austrian  army  and  a large  force  of  Russians,  who  had 
joined  them.  “ If  I wished  to  gain  an  ordinary  victory,  I 
should  receive  battle  on  these  heights,”  said  he,  “ but  I 
perceive  that  the  enemy  is  marching  to  turn  my  right  and  I 
wish  to  betray  him  to  his  ruin,  for,  if  I can  attack  him  as 
he  moves  sideways,  the  battle  is  won.”  So  saying,  he 
marched  his  army  from  the  high  ground  to  a position  near 
a small  stream  and  some  marshes  at  Brum.  Murat,  with 
his  cavalry,  formed  the  second  line,  and  was  to  take  a most 
important  part  in  the  coming  engagement. 

It  was  winter,  and  upon  the  following  day,  a low  fog 
rested  upon  the  ground.  Napoleon  and  his  marshals  stood 


258  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


upon  an  elevation  commanding  the  whole  scene,  as  the 
sun  rose- — burning  the  mists  away — and  exposing  the 
glittering  ranks  of  the  Austrian  army  to  view.  The  Allies 
were  in  motion  to  turn  the  French  right,  and,  perceiving 
the  splendid  advantage  which  the  genius  of  Napoleon  had 
given  them,  his  Marshals  eagerly  besought  him  for  the  signal 
to  advance.  “ Not  yet,  Gentlemen,”  said  the  great  leader 
of  the  armies  of  France.  “When  your  enemy  is  executing 
a false  movement  never  interrupt  him.”  Thus  he  held  his 
impetuous  soldiers  in  a leash,  like  a hunter  with  his  hounds, 
and  when  firing  was  at  length  heard  on  the  right,  — - which 
warned  him  that  the  left  wing  of  the  Allies  had  come  in 
contact  with  his  men,  - — he  cried  out,  “ Now  is  the  moment ! 
Soldiers,  the  enemy  has  imprudently  exposed  himself  to 
our  blows.  We  shall  finish  the  campaign  by  a clap  of 
thunder ! ” 

After  the  first  clash  of  arms  the  powerful  corps  of 
Austrian  cuirassiers  penetrated  to  the  French  centre,  but 
here  they  met  Murat  — at  the  head  of  the  cavalry  of 
Napoleon’s  guard  — who  charged  them  with  so  much 
fury,  that  they  were  almost  totally  annihilated.  The  day 
looked  bright  for  the  French,  when,  at  about  one  o’clock, 
a formidable  body  of  infantry  and  cavalry  was  seen  de- 
bouching from  the  plain  between  the  French  centre  and 
left.  It  was  the  Russian,  imperial  guard,  a number  of 
squadrons  of  horse,  some  cuirassiers,  and  a battery  of  four 
guns.  These  attacked  the  French  column  in  flank  and 
threw  it  into  such  disorder  that  Napoleon  immediately 
dispatched  two  squadrons  of  chasseurs  to  check  the 
disorganization,  assisted  by  Murat  -with  all  the  cavalry 
of  the  Guard,  “ Forward,”  shouted  the  brave  Murat. 


MURAT  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  WERTINGEN 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


259 


“ See  how  our  brothers  and  friends  are  getting  cut  to  pieces ; 
avenge  them;  avenge  our  flag!”  And  rushing  forward, 
the  enemy  was  driven  back  and  their  guns  were  captured. 
The  Russians  now  rallied  and  renewed  the  attack  with 
fury,  so  that  a close  contest  ensued  where  both  cavalry  and 
infantry  was  so  mixed  that  the  artillery  men  of  neither  side 
dared  fire  for  fear  of  wounding  their  own  men.  It  was  a 
sanguinary  battle,  “ horse  to  horse  and  man  to  man,”  but, 
at  last,  the  bull-dog  courage  of  the  French  carried  all  before 
them  and  the  enemy  broke  in  wild  disorder.  Ten  thousand 
were  either  slain  or  taken  prisoner,  while  a large  body 
retreated  over  the  frozen  surface  of  a lake  where  the  ice 
gave  way  and  drowned  about  two  thousand.  Murat 
repeatedly  attacked  one  close  column  which  retreated 
doggedly,  but  which  would  not  give  way  before  his  on- 
slaught. When  the  sun  went  down  the  Allies  were  in  full 
retreat  and  victory  perched  upon  the  Eagles  of  Napoleon. 

After  the  successful  termination  of  the  campaign  the 
spirited  cavalry  leader  was  made  Grand-Duke  of  Cleves 
and  Berg,  and  in  1808  was  appointed  General-in-Chief 
of  the  army  in  Spain.  On  the  15th  of  July,  1808,  he  was 
created  King  of  Naples  under  the  name  of  Joachim 
Napoleon.  He  took  part  in  the  campaign  against  Prussian 
and  Poland  with  added  glory  to  himself,  and  displayed 
the  greatest  talent  as  a leader  of  cavalry.  Before  one  of  the 
numerous  battles  in  which  he  was  engaged,  accompanied 
by  a small  escort,  he  exposed  his  person  in  such  a 
manner  that  a squadron  of  the  enemy  made  after 
him  to  capture  him.  An  officer  apparently  recognized 
the  newly-created  monarch,  because  of  his  brilliant  uni- 
form, and  eagerly  galloped  after  him,  crying  out,  “ Stop, 


260  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


King  of  Naples,  Stop  ! ” As  he  rushed  after  the  flying 
cavalryman,  Murat’s  Aid  turned  about,  and,  with  a 
well  directed  sword  thrust,  killed  the  pursuing  officer,  — 
a deed  of  gallantry  for  which  he  received  the  Legion  of 
Honour.  As  the  army  retreated,  some  days  later,  Murat 
was  apparently  recognized  by  the  Prussian  artillery  men 

— as  he  stood  with  Napoleon  upon  the  banks  of  a stream 

— for  they  turned  their  guns  upon  him,  and  bullets,  cannon- 
balls, and  shells  began  to  fall  dangerously  near  the  Em- 
peror. “ They  are  firing  at  you,  Sire,”  said  one  of  Napo- 
leon’s aids.  “ Nay,”  replied  the  French  General-in-Chief, 
“ they  are  trying  to  wing  Murat,  my  bird  of  paradise.” 

On  May  9th,  1812,  Napoleon  — who  w^as  no  longer 
First  Consul,  but  Emperor  - — left  his  palace  for  a cam- 
paign wdth  Russia.  He  w-as  now  in  the  zenith  of  his  powrer : 
the  French  Empire  over  which  he  ruled  extended  from 
Denmark  to  Naples : he  held  the  German  states  in  sub- 
jection : Austria  and  Prussia  crouched  at  his  feet : and 
he  wished  to  humble  the  pride  of  the  Czar  of  Russia. 
Murat  was  with  him  as  General-of-Cavalry,  and  in  this 
disastrous  campaign,  played  a part  as  prominent,  but  by 
no  means  as  effective,  as  that  of  Marshal  Ney. 

After  passing  through  Germany  with  little  opposition, 
and  having  several  brushes  wdth  the  Russians,  Napoleon 
arrived  at  Witep.sk,  wffiere  he  threw  his  sword  abruptly 
down  on  the  maps  of  Russia  wdth  wffiich  his  tables  wyere 
covered,  and  cried,  “ Here  I stop ! here  I must  look 
around  me,  rally  and  refresh  my  army  and  organize 
Poland;  the  campaign  of  1812  is  finished;  that  of  1813 
will  do  the  rest.”  But  Murat  wyas  impatient  of  repose  and 
longed  for  the  excitement  of  battle,  and  leaving  the  ad- 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


261 


vance  guard  — with  whom  he  was  stationed  — he  went 
to  Witepsk  and  sought  a private  interview  with  the  Em- 
peror for  the  purpose  of  stimulating  him  to  further  fighting. 
“ The  enemy  are  cowards,”  he  said  to  Napoleon.  “ The 
army  is  panic  struck  and  would  retreat  before  the  light 
troops.  Come,  Sire,  let  us  put  them  to  flight  and  gloriously 
end  the  campaign  ! ” 

“ Murat,”  replied  the  Emperor,  “ the  first  campaign 
in  Russia  is  finished.  Let  us  here  plant  our  Eagles;  two 
great  rivers  mark  our  position ; let  us  raise  block  houses 
on  that  line ; let  our  fires  cross  each  other  in  all  directions ; 
let  us  form  in  square  battalion  ; cannons  at  the  angles  and 
exterior;  our  quarters  and  magazines  in  the  interior; 
1813  will  see  us  in  Moscow;  1814  in  St.  Petersburg.  The 
Russian  war  is  a war  of  three  years.” 

This  was  the  sagacious  perception  of  the  great  Emperor, 
and  had  he  followed  this  judgment,  things  would  have  not 
gone  so  ill  with  him  in  later  years.  Murat  retired  to  his 
own  command,  abashed  and  ashamed  at  the  reply  to  his 
request,  while  Napoleon  became  tormented  with  doubts 
and  irresolute  thoughts  which  affected  his  whole  frame. 
He  was  seen  by  his  attendants  to  wander  about  his  apart- 
ments, as  if  pursued  by  some  dangerous  temptation  ; he 
took  up  a piece  of  writing  only  to  lay  it  aside  again  with 
indifference  ; he  paced  before  his  tent  with  apparently  no 
object  in  view;  continually  asked  what  o’clock  it  was,  and 
kept  looking  at  his  watch.  He  would  stop;  hum  a tune; 
and  then  begin  walking  about  again  with  an  absent  air. 
Occasionally  his  face  would  brighten  as  he  met  some  one 
whom  he  knew,  and  he  would  address  them  with  such 
half-sentences,  as,  “ Well,  what  shall  we  do  ? Shall  we 


262  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


stay  where  we  are,  or  advance  ? How  is  it  possible  to  stop 
short  in  so  glorious  a career  ? ” and,  not  waiting  for  an 
answer,  he  would  continue  wandering  about  as  if  looking 
for  somebody  who  could  answer  these  perplexing  questions. 
Finally  he  would  throw  himself  upon  one  of  his  beds,  but 
here  he  had  no  rest,  for  his  mind  seemed  to  be  as  acute 
as  ever.  He  would  toss  about,  groan,  and  cry  out  aloud  in 
his  anguish.  A Historian  says,  “ The  reasons  impelling 
him  to  advance  and  finish  the  campaign  by  a brilliant 
stroke,  presented  themselves  to  him  vi  h irresistible  force. 
Having  at  last  determined  upon  his  course,  he  arose, 
hastened  to  his  maps,  which  presented  to  his  view  the 
cities  of  Smolensk  and  Moscow,  ‘the  great  Moscow,  the 
Holy  City,’ — names  which  he  repeated  with  satisfaction. 
Fired  with  the  prospect  of  a speedy  advance,  his  spirit, 
replete  with  the  energy  of  his  great  conception,  appeared 
to  be  possessed  with  the  genius  of  war.  His  voice  deepened, 
his  eyes  blazed,  and  his  countenr  nee  grew  dark  with 
thought  and  resolution.  His  attendants  retreated  from 
his  presence,  struck  with  mingled  awe  and  respect;  but, 
at  length,  the  plan  of  advance  became  fixed,  his  determina- 
tion was  taken,  and  the  order  of  march  was  traced  out. 
Instantly  the  internal  struggle  by  which  he  had  been 
agitated  subsided,  and,  no  sooner  was  he  delivered  of  this 
terrible  conception  than  his  countenance  assumed  its 
usual  composed  and  tranquil  character,” 

Of  all  the  Generals  in  the  army  Murat  was  the  only  one 
who  urged  the  Emperor  to  advance  upon  Moscow.  All 
the  others  — including  Ney  — were  against  such  a pro- 
ceeding, and  repeatedly  advised  their  chief  not  to  move 
further  into  Russian  territory.  But  Napoleon  was  ob- 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


263 


durate,  and  dispatching  the  head-strong  Murat  to  take 
charge  of  the  Advance  Guard,  was  soon  marching  upon 
Smolensk.  His  leader  of  cavalry  was  overjoyed  at  this 
departure.  “ See  the  Russians,”  he  exclaimed  with  dis- 
dain, “ they  wilt  before  our  lines  like  chaff  before  the 
wind.”  When  Smolensk  was  taken,  his  impetuous  ardour 
cooled  a bit,  and  he  began  to  think  that  further  advance 
into  the  enemy’s  country  was  too  hazardous  a proceeding 
to  undertake  But  nothing  could  now  shake  the  decision 
of  the  Emperor  to  take  Moscow.  “ On,  on,  Soldiers  of 
France,”  he  said.  “ We  must  humble  the  pride  of  these 
Northern  plunderers  and  capture  their  sacred  city.” 
Murat  drove  the  Russians  beyond  the  Osma  River 
and  pursued  them  with  great  impetuosity  through  the 
narrow  defile  between  the  banks  of  the  stream.  There 
was  a sharp  fight,  and  — • at  a critical  moment  — a battery 
in  Davoust’s  corps  refused  to  fire,  and  thus  a violent  quarrel 
began  between  Murat  and  this  cold  and  calculating 
Marshal,  who  was  the  exact  antithesis  of  the  dashing 
cavalryman.  Napoleon  rode  up  while  the  dispute  was  in 
progress,  and,  although  he  had  a high  regard  for  Davoust, 
sustained  the  impetuous  system  of  Murat,  and  censured 
the  slow-moving  leader  of  Infantry.  So  the  advance  con- 
tinued, while  clouds  of  Cossacks  hovered  about  the  head 
of  the  column,  which  Murat  in  vain  attempted  to  disperse. 
At  last,  irritated  by  the  necessity  of  constantly  deploying 
his  cavalry  against  the  Russian  horse,  he  dashed  forward 
alone  toward  the  line  of  enemy,  and,  brandishing  his 
sword  in  the  air,  cried  out,  “ Retire,  you  cowards,  to 
your  own  infantry.  Begone,  your  country  needs  you  ! ” 
The  grandeur  of  his  presence,  the  regal  splendour  of  his 


264  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


dress,  and  the  daring  of  this  action,  so  astonished  and 
impressed  these  barbarians,  that  they  fell  back  in  amaze- 
ment before  him. 

At  Borodino  the  Russians  stood  up  against  the  French 
advance.  Napoleon  rose  that  morning  with  his  accus- 
tomed spirit  and  called  out  to  his  officers : “ We  have  them 
at  last.  Forward  ! Let  us  advance  to  open  the  gates  of 
Moscow.”  He  then  rode  to  a captured  redoubt,  and,  when 
the  sun  rose,  pointed  to  it  and  said,  “ Behold  the  sun  of 
Austerlitz ! ” But  it  was  opposite  the  French  army  and 
fell  into  their  eyes  with  dazzling  splendour,  while  revealing 
the  movements  of  the  enemy. 

The  battle  soon  commenced  and  lasted  all  day  with 
the  greatest  fury.  After  Marshal  Ney  had  carried  the 
redoubts  of  the  Russians  with  irresistible  fire,  Murat  was 
ordered  forward  with  the  cavalry  to  complete  the  victory, 
but  the  second  Russian  line  had  rallied,  and  drove  him 
back.  At  this  moment  some  French  regiments  mistook 
the  horsemen  of  the  dashing,  French  cavalryman  for 
retreating  Russians,  and  fired  upon  them.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Cossacks  galloped  forward,  surrounded  Murat, 
and  were  endeavouring  to  catch  hold  of  him,  when 
he  threw  himself  into  an  intrenchment  and  thus 
escaped  for  the  time  being.  There  he  seized  a sword, 
and  keeping  the  Cossacks  at  bay  with  one  hand,  with  the 
other  raised  aloft  his  well-known,  snow-white  plume. 
Calling  to  his  men  to  rescue  him,  the  French  cavalry 
soon  precipitated  itself  upon  the  victorious  Russians,  with 
such  force,  that  they  were  driven  away  and  the  gallant 
Murat  was  saved  from  capture.  Marshal  Ney  reformed 
his  division  and  checked  the  Cossacks  when  they  made 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


265 


a second  assault,  while  Murat  — placing  himself  at  the 
head  of  two  divisions  of  cavalry  — rushed  upon  the 
enemy,  drove  them  back  upon  the  centre,  and,  in  an  hour, 
had  completely  broken  the  Russian,  left  wing. 

The  defeated  horde  of  Russian  troops  fell  back  upon 
Moscow,  and,  as  they  did  so,  Murat  dashed  after  them 
with  his  usual  careless  recklessness.  So  impetuous  was  his 
advance,  that,  when  he  overtook  the  rear  guard  at  Kry- 
mskoie,  he  attacked  with  such  rashness,  that  over  two 
thousand  of  his  men  were  killed  and  disabled.  This  care- 
less sacrifice  of  young  lives  incensed  Marshal  Mortier  to 
such  an  extent,  that  he  refused  toobey Murat’s  orders,  while 
Davoust  — another  General  • — soon  afterwards  rode  to 
find  the  Emperor,  and  promised  that  if  he  would  put  him 
in  command  of  the  French  advance,  he  would  reach  the 
enemy  and  compel  him  to  fight  without  needlessly  squan- 
dering the  lives  of  the  soldiers,  as  did  the  impetuous  Murat. 
Napoleon  refused  to  allow  such  a charge,  and  extolled 
the  daring  and  impetuosity  of  the  leader  of  cavalry  with 
words  of  great  praise. 

Finally  the  army  came  in  view  of  Moscow,  and,  from 
a high  hill,  saw  the  noble  city  as  it  lay  beneath,  glittering 
with  a million,  different  colours  as  the  sun  flashed  upon 
its  gilded  roofs  and  cupolas.  The  French  rushed  forward 
in  disorder,  crying  “ Moscow  ! Moscow  ! ” while  Napoleon 
exclaimed,  “ It  is  high  time.  Here  at  last  is  the  famous 
city ! ” A deputation  came  out  from  the  town  to  declare 
that  the  city  would  be  set  on  fire  if  the  rear-guard  of  the 
Russian  army  were  not  permitted  to  leave  in  peace,  and, 
while  a conference  was  in  progress  with  the  Emperor, 
Murat  was  recognized  by  the  Cossacks,  who  clustered 


266  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


about  him,  laying  hold  of  his  person  with  their  hands,  and 
demonstrating,  by  their  gestures  and  strange  exclamations, 
that  they  thought  highly  of  his  bravery  and  valour.  To 
appease  their  curiosity  the  French  General  took  some 
watches  from  his  officers  and  presented  them  to  the  rough 
riders  of  the  plains. 

While  negotiations  were  in  progress,  a rumour  began  to 
be  circulated  among  the  French  that  Moscow  had  been  set 
on  fire.  “ Moscow  is  deserted,”  said  Murat,  “ let  me  enter 
the  city  before  the  Russians  get  away.”  “ Very  well,  enter 
then,”  answered  Napoleon.  “ Perhaps  these  people  do 
not  know  how  to  surrender.”  So,  the  brightly  uniformed 
Gcneral-of-Cavalry  — surrounded  by  his  toughened  hus- 
sars and  cuirassiers  — defiled  through  the  gate  of  the 
city  and  clattered  along  the  cobbled  streets.  Silence  and 
solitude  rested  over  all ; not  a person  was  in  sight ; and  not 
a voice  echoed  from  the  deserted  houses.  Shuddering  at 
the  ominous  quietude,  the  cavalry  dashed  through  the  city ; 
defiled  out  of  the  further  gate  ; and  galloped  along  the  road 
to  Wlademer,  along  which  the  Russians  had  retreated. 

When  Napoleon  entered  Moscow,  he  said,  “ Above 
everything,  let  there  be  no  pillage.  For  this  you  soldiers 
must  answer  to  me  with  your  lives.  Preserve  Moscow 
against  all,  both  friend  and  foe  ! ” But  alarming  reports 
that  fire  had  broken  out  in  several  remote  quarters  of  the 
city  soon  brought  terror  to  the  hearts  of  all.  Napoleon 
remained  calm  and  issued  orders  to  have  the  flames  sub- 
dued, for  it  became  known  that  the  French  patrols  had 
seized  numbers  of  low  Russians  — said  to  have  been  re- 
leased from  prison  when  the  city  was  abandoned  — who, 
incited  by  the  hope  of  plunder,  ran  from  place  to  place 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


267 


and  set  fire  to  all  the  wooden  buildings.  “ I found  several 
of  these  wretches  taken  in  the  act,”  says  the  Baron  Zaney, 
“ lighted  matches  and  combustibles  were  upon  their  per- 
sons.” By  night  these  incendiaries  came  from  their  hiding- 
places  and  the  sight  of  lurid  flames  bursting  forth  in  every 
direction  was  sufficient  proof  of  the  presence  of  these 
mysterious  and  dreadful  creatures.  Soon  the  French  were 
encircled  by  a sea  of  flames:  in  vain  they  attempted  to 
stem  the  fierce  conflagration : the  Kremlin  itself  was  soon 
alight  and  all  Moscow  roared  in  a sea  of  crackling  fire. 
“ The  chiefs  of  the  army,  overcome  with  the  conflagration,” 
says  Segur,  “ after  fighting  the  flames  for  thirty-six  hours, 
dropped  down  from  fatigue  and  despair.”  Napoleon, 
himself,  passed  two  days  of  anguish  and  dismay,  and  then 
hastily  left  the  doomed  city  to  its  fate.  The  next  day  he 
looked  towards  Moscow,  which  resembled  a vast  water- 
spout of  flame  rising  in  whirling  eddies  to  the  sky,  and  — 
after  a long  and  gloomy  silence  — - observed,  “ This  fore- 
bodes great  misfortunes  for  our  arms.  The  glory  of  this 
campaign  has  been  exhausted  in  the  flames  of  Moscow.” 
Murat  had  charge  of  the  rear-guard  in  the  beginning 
of  the  retreat,  and  on  October  5th,  during  an  informal 
armistice  which  was  established  with  the  pursuing  Rus- 
sians, was  constantly  flattered  by  the  Cossacks.  When 
he  would  show  himself  at  their  advance  posts  they  would 
take  great  notice  of  his  fine  person  and  their  vedettes  would 
obey  his  order.  The  Cossack  Chiefs  pretended  to  be 
his  personal  friends  and  it  is  believed  that  they  made  offers 
to  him  to  join  them,  for  Napoleon  is  said  to  have  exclaimed, 
when  reading  some  letters,  “ Murat,  King  of  the  Cos- 
sacks? What  folly!” 


268  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


The  King  of  Naples  believed  that  they  were  afraid 
to  fight  against  him,  but  one  day  a Cossack  sentinel 
fired  upon  him  when  he  showed  himself  at  an  advance 
post,  and,  infuriated  at  this,  the  French  General  declared 
the  truce  with  the  Russians  at  an  end.  Two  days  later  — 
in  a furious  engagement  — he  was  so  severely  handled  by 
the  wild  descendants  of  Attila,  the  Hun,  that  he  lost  be- 
tween three  and  four  thousand  men;  twelve  pieces  of 
artillery;  twenty  ammunition  wagons;  had  two  generals 
killed;  and  was  himself  wounded.  This  completely 
shattered  his  force,  while  those  that  survived  this  fight 
were  so  weakened  by  hunger,  that  they  had  not  strength 
enough  to  make  a single  charge  on  the  now  exultant 
Russians. 

Napoleon  became  aware  of  a plot  against  the  throne,  and 
so  left  his  troops,  in  order  to  hasten  to  Paris,  leaving  Murat 
in  command  of  the  now  disorganized  Grand  Army.  But 
the  brilliant  cavalry  leader  was  not  equal  to  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  occasion,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  lion- 
hearted  Ney,  the  retreating  Frenchmen  would  have  never 
left  the  plains  of  Russia.  At  Wilna  the  Cossacks  made  a 
fierce  charge  upon  the  disorganized  masses  of  men.  “ Here 
are  the  Cossacks ! ” cried  the  frightened  refugees,  and 
Murat  was  among  the  first  to  seek  safety  in  flight  by 
forcing  his  way  through  the  crowd  of  fugitives,  and  fleeing, 
on  foot,  from  the  city.  At  Gumbinnen  the  French  army 
rallied,  while  Murat  assembled  the  various  Generals  to 
whom  Napoleon  had  entrusted  the  command,  and  said, 
“ There  is  no  longer  any  use  in  serving  such  a madman 
as  Napoleon,  and  there  is  no  safety  in  supporting  his 
cause.  No  monarch  in  Europe  can  place  any  reliance 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


269 


upon  his  word,  or  upon  the  treaties  concluded  by  him. 
I am  in  despair  because  he  has  rejected  the  proposals 
of  the  English,  for,  had  he  not  done  so,  he  would  still  be 
a great  monarch  like  the  Emperor  of  Austria  and  the  King 
of  Prussia,” 

“ The  King  of  Prussia  and  the  Emperor  of  Austria,” 
interrupted  Marshal  Davoust,  with  great  indignation, 
“ are  monarchs  by  the  Grace  of  God,  of  time,  and  the 
custom  of  nations.  But,  as  for  you,  you  are  only  a King 
by  the  grace  of  Napoleon,  and  you  are  by  blood  a common 
Frenchman.  You  can  only  remain  King,  through  the 
good  graces  of  Napoleon,  and  by  continuing  your  alle- 
giance to  France.  You  are  basely  ungrateful  to  him  who 
has  made  you.” 

The  other  Marshals  remained  silent  at  this  just  speech, 
and  Murat  was  so  mortified  at  the  exposures  which  he  had 
made,  that  he  left  the  room  immediately. 

When  he  arrived  in  Posen,  in  East  Prussia,  the  gaudily- 
attired  cavalryman  suddenly  resigned  from  his  position 
in  the  French  army  and  set  out  for  his  dominions  in  Italy. 
Napoleon  was  stunned  and  indignant  at  this  act  of  ingrati- 
tude by  the  man  who  had  married  his  sister  and  whom  he 
had  created  a King.  “ The  King,  your  husband,”  he 
wrote  to  the  wife  of  Murat,  “ abandoned  my  army  on  the 
1 6th.  He  is  a brave  man  upon  the  field  of  battle;  but  he 
is  feebler  than  a woman,  or  a monk,  when  not  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  enemy.  He  is  destitute  of  moral  courage.” 
And  shortly  afterwards,  he  dispatched  the  following,  bitter 
words  to  the  ungrateful  Murat,  “ I suppose  that  you 
think  the  lion  is  dead.  You  will  find  that  you  are  mis- 
taken. You  have  done  me  all  the  mischief  that  you  could 


270  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


since  my  departure  from  Wilna.  Your  elevation  to  the 
throne  of  Naples  has  turned  your  head  and  you  are  now 
useless.’5 

Later  on,  when  at  St.  Helena,  the  Emperor  said,  “ At 
the  head  of  a body  of  horsemen  no  man  was  ever  more 
resolute,  more  courageous  or  more  brilliant  than  Murat. 
He  could  make  the  most  of  a corps  of  cavalry.  He  was 
endowed  with  extraordinary  courage  and  little  intellect. 
There  are  several  men  whom  I made  too  great : I raised 
them  above  the  sphere  of  their  intelligence.  He  is  one  of 
these.” 

Austrians,  Russians,  and  Prussians,  eager  to  attach 
Murat  to  their  cause,  endeavoured  to  get  the  King  of 
Naples  to  join  them  against  Napoleon.  But  this  he  would 
.not  do,  and,  after  the  Emperor  had  beaten  his  enemies 
at  Ltitzen  and  Bautzen,  hastened  to  offer  his  services  to  his 
•old  commander.  Napoleon  received  him  with  indulgence 
and  again  gave  him  command  of  the  cavalry  which  he  led 
with  his  old-time  fire  and  enthusiasm  in  the  battle  of 
Dresden  and  Leipsic.  At  the  former  Murat  was  in  the 
centre  — as  usual  — and  advanced,  in  the  rain,  by  a cir- 
cuitous movement,  appearing  with  fourteen  thousand 
horse  upon  the  flank  and  rear  of  the  Austrian  left-wing. 
This  so  appalled  the  enemy,  that  — after  a furious  assault 
by  Marshal  Ney  — - they  retired.  But  the  tables  were 
reversed  at  Leipsic,  where  Murat  commanded  the  French 
centre,  and  Napoleon,  in  turn,  was  forced  to  beat  such  a 
disorganized  retreat  that  soon  the  Allies  had  entered  Paris 
and  the  proud  and  imperious  Emperor  of  the  French  was 
exiled  to  the  Island  of  Elba. 

Meanwhile  the  vacillating  Murat  had  again  left  the 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


271 


man  who  had  made  him  great,  and  had  joined  the  Aus- 
trians. To  his  soldiers,  he  issued  a proclamation,  which 
ran : “ As  long  as  I could  believe  that  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon fought  for  the  peace  and  happiness  of  France,  I 
stood  by  his  side;  but  that  illusion  is  no  longer  possible. 
He  breathes  nothing  but  war.  I should  be  false  to  the  in- 
terests of  my  native  country,  and  to  my  present  Kingdom, 
and  to  yours,  if  I did  not  separate  my  armies  from  his  and 
join  these  great  Allies  who  respect  the  independence  of 
nations  and  the  dignity  of  thrones.  Soldiers ! There  are 
two  banners  in  Europe ; on  one  is  inscribed,  ‘ religion, 
morality,  justice,  law,  peace,  and  happiness,’  on  the  other 
‘ persecution,  artifice,  violence,  tyranny,  war,  and  sorrow 
to  all  people.’  That  is  Napoleon’s.” 

Of  this  proclamation  Napoleon  spoke  with  great  feeling : 
“ It  is  my  banner  that  he  calls  the  banner  of  crime,”  he 
said,  “ and  it  is  Murat,  my  creature,  the  husband  of  my 
sister,  the  man  who  owes  everything  to  me,  who  exists 
by  me,  and  is  known  through  me  alone ; it  is  Murat  who 
writes  this ! It  is  impossible  to  detest  the  cause  of  mis- 
fortune with  more  unfeeling  brutality,  and  to  run  with 
more  unblushing  baseness  to  hail  a new  destiny.” 

In  spite  of  his  acts  of  hostility  to  Napoleon,  Murat  was, 
at  heart,  his  devoted  admirer  and  friend.  Vain  and  de- 
sirous of  remaining  King  of  Naples,  his  acts,  at  this  period 
of  his  life,  were  controlled  by  his  inordinate  desire  to  per- 
petuate his  rule.  On  hearing  of  Napoleon’s  return  from 
Elba  his  head  was  turned,  and,  in  the  political  confusion 
that  ensued,  he  endeavoured  to  establish  the  independence 
of  Italy.  Crossing  the  river  Po,  with  a large  army,  and 
calling  upon  the  Italians  to  assert  their  independence,  he 


272  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


had  several  battles  with  the  Austrians,  but  was  eventually 
defeated,  and  during  the  retreat  of  his  men,  exhibited  that 
reckless  bravery  for  which  he  wras  always  renowned.  By 
continual  charges  upon  the  Austrian  line  he  kept  the  enemy 
in  check  and  sought  to  end  his  life  by  being  killed  in 
battle ; but  such  was  not  to  be  his  fate.  When  at  last 
he  entered  Naples,  he  appeared  before  his  queen  and  said, 
“ All  is  lost,  madam,  but  my  life,  and  that  I have  un- 
fortunately not  been  able  to  lose.”  Tenderly  embracing 
her,  he  bade  farewell  to  his  children ; had  his  hair  cut  short ; 
and  donning  an  old,  gray  suit ; secretly  made  his  way  to  the 
seashore  and  embarked  in  a small  boat  for  France.  Land- 
ing upon  the  south  coast,  he  sent  word  to  Napoleon  that 
he  wished  to  join  him  in  his  campaign  of  Waterloo.  “ What 
treaty  of  peace  has  been  concluded  between  France  and 
Naples  since  1814,”  Napoleon  coldly  replied,  and  so  poor 
Murat  hid  himself,  in  haste,  to  avoid  recognition  by  the 
country  people. 

Speaking  of  Murat,  at  this  time,  Napoleon  wrote  after- 
wards, at  St.  Helena,  “ I should  have  taken  him  with  me 
to  Waterloo,  but  such  was  the  patriotic  and  moral  feeling 
of  the  French  army  (who  looked  upon  his  refusal  to  join 
me  after  Leipsic,  in  1814,  as  the  cause  of  their  subsequent 
disaster)  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  troops  could 
surmount  the  horror  and  disgust  which  they  felt  for  the 
man  who  had  lost  and  destroyed  France.  I did  not  con- 
sider myself  sufficiently  powerful  to  protect  him.  Yet  he 
might  have  enabled  me  to  gain  the  victory.  How  useful 
he  would  have  been  at  certain  periods  of  the  battle  of 
Waterloo ! He  would  have  broken  three  or  four  English 
squares,  for  Murat  was  admirable  for  such  service  as 
this.  He  was  precisely  the  man  for  it.” 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


273 


Thus  the  unfortunate  Frenchman  was  compelled  to 
settle  down  near  Toulon  and  await  the  events  of  Na- 
poleon’s last  campaign,  while  living  unostentatiously  with 
a small  suite.  When  the  news  of  the  disaster  at  Waterloo 
came,  and  of  the  flight  of  Napoleon,  a reward  of  sixteen 
hundred  dollars  was  offered  by  the  Royalists  for  the  cap- 
ture of  the  Emperor’s  old  leader  of  cavalry;  so  Murat 
separated  from  his  followers  and  went  into  hiding.  For 
many  days  he  wandered  alone,  — half  starved,  — in  con- 
stant fear  of  capture  and  assassination.  When  crouching, 
one  day,  behind  some  shrubs  in  a garden,  he  saw  a party 
of  his  pursuers  search  a house,  where,  but  a few  moments 
before,  he  had  been  entertained  by  the  owners.  Faithful 
friends  repeatedly  aided  him,  and,  as  he  had  a small 
amount  of  money,  he  eventually  was  able  to  escape  to 
Corsica  in  a small  boat. 

The  once-powerful  King  of  Naples  was  now  weary 
with  wandering  and  embittered  with  the  humiliation  of  his 
position.  He  also  feared  a violent  death,  for  the  Congress 
of  Vienna  had  declared  Napoleon  a public  enemy  and 
liable  to  public  vengeance.  But  such  was  Murat’s  love 
for  his  departed  power  that  he  decided  to  organize  an 
armed  force  for  the  purpose  of  again  invading  the  soil  of 
Italy  and  replacing  himself  upon  the  throne.  He  was, 
no  doubt,  stimulated  by  the  example  of  Napoleon’s  suc- 
cessful return  from  Elba,  six  months  before,  and  hoped 
to  duplicate  his  triumphant  entry  in  Paris.  In  a very  few 
days  a force  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  men  was 
assembled.  “ I will  not  give  up  my  Kingdom,”  said  Murat. 
“ At  the  most  I shall  die  a King.” 

Departing  from  Corsica  in  some  small  vessels,  the  vain- 


274  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


glorious  Frenchman  landed  on  the  shores  of  Italy,  after  a 
stormy  passage,  in  which  his  own  vessel  was  nearly  cap- 
sized. It  was  Sunday  morning  when  he  marched  into  the 
market-place  of  the  little  town  of  Pizo,  and  a large  con- 
course of  people  were  assembled  in  their  holiday  clothes. 
As  Napoleon’s  former  cavalryman  passed  them,  he  began 
calling  out : “ I am  Joachim ; I am  your  King ; you  ought 
to  recognize  me.”  But,  instead  of  welcoming  him  with 
huzzas  of  greeting,  the  peasants  began  to  leave  the  market- 
place and  enter  their  houses. 

The  party  of  soldiers  now  marched  towards  Monteleone, 
while  a crowd  followed  them  from  the  little  village  which 
they  had  just  quitted,  and  vigorously  assailed  Murat’s 
followers  with  sticks  and  stones.  Finally  a pistol  was 
fired,  and,  at  this,  the  Corsican  soldiers,  composing  Murat’s 
army,  took  to  their  heels  and  scattered  to  the  right  and  left. 
Murat  and  two  others  escaped  to  a beach,  near-by,  and 
there  espied  a fisherman’s  boat  hauled  high  up  on  the 
sand.  To  this  they  ran  and  desperately  struggled  to  drag 
it  into  the  water.  Their  pursuers  closed  in  as  they  did  so, 
while  the  fugitives  — seeing  that  all  was  lost  — drew  their 
swords  and  pistols.  One  of  Murat’s  companions  was  shot 
dead ; the  other  was  soon  overpowered  and  knocked  life- 
less upon  the  sand.  The  deposed  Monarch  was  seized; 
pulled  from  hand  to  hand  in  the  midst  of  the  howling 
crowd;  his  arms,  ornaments  and  clothes  were  wrenched 
from  him;  his  face  and  body  were  begrimed  with  blood 
and  sand,  as  his  hair  was  torn  from  his  head  by  the  fist- 
full.  Finally  he  was  carried  off  to  prison,  while  the  news 
of  his  capture  was  instantly  dispatched  to  Naples,  where 
Ferdinand  the  Fourth  had  ascended  the  throne  of  his 
fathers 


JOACHIM  MURAT 


275 


A court-martial  was  assembled,  composed  of  seven 
officers  who  had  served  in  Murat’s  army,  who  listened  to 
a few  remarks  by  the  officer  who  conducted  the  defence, 
and  sentenced  the  former  King  of  their  country  to  be  im- 
mediately shot  in  the  courtyard  of  the  castle.  At  about 
four  in  the  afternoon  a parting  letter  was  written  to  his 
wife  and  children,  and,  after  absolution  had  been  received 
by  a priest,  Murat  remarked,  “ Let  us  go  and  accomplish 
the  will  of  God.” 

At  the  foot  of  the  steps  which  led  to  his  cell  had  been 
placed  a chair,  and,  in  a narrow,  little  area  in  front  of  it 
stood  the  firing  party.  The  space  was  so  cramped  that 
the  twelve  men  who  composed  it  were  placed  in  three 
ranks.  As  the  prisoner  faced  them  he  refused  to  sit  in  the 
chair.  In  his  left  hand  he  held  a miniature  of  his  wife  and 
children,  and  with  clearness  and  deliberation  ordered 
the  soldiers  to  prepare  to  fire.  He  then  remarked,  with 
a firm  voice,  “ Spare  my  face,  aim  at  the  heart,”  and  as 
the  muskets  of  the  soldiers  nearly  touched  his  breast,  he 
endeavoured  to  draw  one  towards  it.  “ Fire ! ” he  cried. 
As  the  triggers  were  pulled  the  brave  warrior’s  body  re- 
mained erect  for  a moment,  then  sank,  and  his  forehead 
struck  the  door  of  the  cell  in  which  his  comrades  were  im- 
prisoned. 

Thus  Joachim  Murat  came  to  an  ignominious  end.  He 
was  a warrior,  who,  as  a leader  of  cavalry,  had  few  equals. 
As  a man,  his  keen  sense  for  personal  advancement  often 
turned  to  craftiness  and  deceit.  As  a cavalry  officer  his 
boldness  was  often  rashness.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
notable  soldiers  of  an  epoch  of  great  military  activity  and 
achievement,  and  died  at  the  early  age  of  forty-nine.  When 


276  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


the  news  of  his  death  came  to  the  ears  of  Napoleon  (exiled 
at  St.  Helena)  he  showed  little  sympathy  for  the  man  who 
had  so  treacherously  deserted  him  in  the  time  of  his 
greatest  need.  “ Murat,”  said  the  Emperor,  “ wras  doomed 
to  be  our  bane  He  ruined  us  by  forsaking  us  and  he 
ruined  us  by  too  warmly  espousing  our  cause.  His  un- 
fortunate end  corresponds  to  his  conduct.  He  deserved 
such  a miserable  finals  to  his  career.” 


MAJOR-GENERAL  J.  E.  B.  STUART 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


THE  greatest  leader  of  Southern  cavalry  during 
the  war  between  the  Northern  and  Southern 
States  in  America,  was  General  James  Ewell 
Brown  Stuart,  familiarly  known  as  Jeb.  He  possessed  all 
the  qualities  which  make  the  true  leader  of  cavalry.  He 
was  a man  of  the  most  winning  personality.  He  was 
courteous ; affectionate ; kind ; yet  he  possessed  courage ; 
dash;  and  a great  fighting  spirit.  He  was  physically 
strong,  fearless,  and  bold.  He  had  the  fire  and  imagination 
that  is  essential  to  the  leader  of  light  horse,  and  a sufficient 
amount  of  caution  to  make  him  respected  by  more  con- 
servative leaders  of  the  Confederacy.  Blessed  with  a 
cheerfulness  which  no  reverse  could  dampen,  he  stands 
forth  in  the  history  of  that  great  war  as  one’s  true  idea  of 
a hero.  Beloved  by  all  his  followers  and  by  the  people  of 
the  South,  his  death,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-one,  was  a 
blow  to  the  Confederate  cavalry  sendee  from  which  it  never 
recovered. 

As  a matter  of  history,  the  infantry  of  both  the  Northern 
and  Southern  armies  was  never  on  very  friendly  terms  with 
the  cavalry.  There  was  always  a certain  amount  of  feeling 
between  the  dashing  cavalrymen  and  the  plodding  dough- 
boys, as  the  infantrymen  were  called.  The  foot-soldiers 
thought  that  there  was  a great  deal  of  swagger  and  bluster 

277 


278  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


about  the  cavalry  and  that  this  branch  of  the  service  never 
really  accomplished  much.  Those  on  horseback  thought 
that  all  the  true  fighting  was  done  by  them,  and  that  the 
infantrymen  were  a lot  of  good-for-nothings. 

One  day  a member  of  Stuart’s  brigade  was  stopped  by 
a foot-soldier  near  the  General’s  headquarters. 

“ Say,  Mister, ” he  said,  “ did  you  ever  see  a Yankee?  ” 
“ Yes,”  answered  the  cavalryman,  rather  sharply. 

“ Well,”  remarked  the  infantryman,  “ I thought  you 
never  had.  Never  heard  of  the  cavalry  ever  killing  or 
catching  one.  Say,  Mister,  did  he  have  on  a blue  coat?  ” 
“Yes,”  answered  the  Dragoon,  showing  some  signs 
of  wrath. 

“ Did  you  stop  and  look  at  him,  Mister  ? ” 

“ Yes,  I had  a good  look.” 

“Well,”  said  the  dough-boy,  “ Please  ter  tell  me,  Mister, 
if  your  hoss  wuz  lame  or  your  spurs  wuz  broke  ? ” 

This  remark  was  greeted  by  a roar  of  laughter  from 
General  Stuart,  who  was  standing  in  front  of  his  tent,  for, 
if  any  one  dearly  loved  a joke,  it  was  he.  Let  us  look  at 
this  genial  commander  of  cavalry  and  see  what  kind  of  a 
man  he  was. 

Clad  in  a neat,  gray  uniform,  with  black  boots  extending 
to  the  knees,  stood  a youthful  man  of  about  twenty-seven 
years  of  age.  His  height  was  about  five  feet  eleven  inches  ; 
his  body  short ; and  his  legs  and  arms  rather  longer  than 
they  should  have  been  in  order  to  make  him  of  perfect  pro- 
portions. Upon  his  head  was  a great,  broad,  felt  hat  turned 
rakishly  up  on  one  side.  An  ostrich  plume  waved  carelessly 
from  the  top.  Beneath  was  a bronzed  and  weather- 
beaten countenance.  A luxuriant,  brown  beard  and 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


279 


moustache  covered  the  lower  portion  of  his  face.  His  nose 
was  long  and  well-shaped,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  the 
lustre  of  perfect  health.  At  times,  their  colour  was  a calm, 
bluish  gray.  At  others  they  were  as  black  as  a thunder 
cloud,  and  again,  as  blue  as  the  skies  upon  a clear,  May 
morning.  The  sound  of  a distant  bugle  or  the  crack  of 
a shot  was  only  needed  to  light  them  up  in  a sparkle  of 
brilliant  light. 

Upon  the  heels  of  his  tall,  hip  boots  were  silver  spurs. 
A brightly  polished  sword  hung  from  his  belt.  In  his  but- 
ton-hole was  a bouquet  of  flowers,  while  a pair  of  long, 
white  gaunlet-gloves  were  stuffed  into  the  yellow  sash 
wound  around  his  waist.  Upon  first  view  you  would  say 
that  this  fellow  was  a dandy.  You  would  have  criticized 
him  in  very  much  the  same  way  that  General  Custer 
was  criticized.  You  would  remark,  perhaps,  that  he  was 
a tin- soldier,  — a fellow  who  loved  to  dress  gaily  but  who 
had  no  stomach  for  a fight.  But  here  you  would  be  wrong. 
No  one  respected  his  fighting  qualities  more  than  did 
Sheridan,  Custer,  Merritt,  Pleasanton  and  Buford : the 
leaders  of  the  Federal  horse.  They  knew  how  vigorously 
he  watched  the  Confederate  line.  They  knew  how  difficult 
it  was  to  surprise  the  Southern  army,  with  Stuart’s  troopers 
on  the  outposts,  and  they  christened  him  Stuart,  the 
Yellow- Jacket,  for  his  perpetual  movements  and  aggressive 
attacks,  stung  them  like  an  insect  and  irritated  them  be- 
yond measure. 

The  character  of  General  Stuart  was  essentially  joyous, 
yet  he  had  sufficient  gravity  when  the  occasion  demanded 
a show  of  quiet  dignity  and  it  was  only  when  severely 
engaged  in  battle  that  he  was  not  continually  laughing  and 


280  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


joking.  Sometimes,  after  hours  of  application  to  the 
duties  of  his  office,  — where  Stuart  would  be  as  sober  as  a 
Judge,  — he  would  call  his  adjutant  from  his  desk  and  de- 
mand that  he  should  join  him  in  a game  of  marbles.  Not 
many  moments  afterwards,  the  great  leader  of  cavalry 
would  be  down  upon  his  knees,  calling  out,  “ Knuckle  down 
there,  fen  everything,”  and  roaring  with  laughter  when 
he  failed  to  hit  his  opponent’s  men.  In  half  an  hour  he 
would  be  back  again  to  serious  labour. 

Continually  with  the  General  in  camp  and  in  bivouac 
was  a negro,  banjo  player.  The  day’s  work  was  no  sooner 
done  than  gay  music  brightened  the  closing  hours  of  the 
day.  No  one  was  more  fond  of  song  than  General  Stuart, 
and  frequently  he  would  rouse  the  whole  camp  by  a mid- 
night serenade.  He  sang  even  when  in  the  heart  of  battle, 
and,  so  seductive  was  this  cheerfulness,  that  General 
Longstreet  ordered  him  away  from  his  camp,  saying, 
that  he  made  the  cavalryman’s  life  seem  so  attractive  that 
his  infantrymen  wanted  to  desert  and  to  “ jine  the  cavalry.” 

This  cheerfulness  had  a wonderful  effect  upon  his  men. 
Oftentimes,  when  the  line  would  be  broken,  and  the  soldiers 
would  be  beaten  back,  Stuart  would  appear  in  the  nick 
of  time  with  needed  reinforcements.  His  cheery  voice, 
telling  his  troopers  to  let  anything  happen  rather  than 
allow  themselves  to  be  beaten,  would  spur  them  to  renewed 
activity.  The  mere  presence  of  their  joyous  leader  would 
relieve  their  minds  of  anxiety  for  the  future  as  they  were 
always  certain  that  he  looked  upon  the  bright  and  cheerful 
side  of  life  and  that  he  would  sing  and  laugh  all  the  louder, 
if  they  should  win.  They  would  fight  doubly  hard  under 
such  a General,  for  they  loved  him. 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


281 


This  great  cavalryman  was  of  a Scotch  family  and  de- 
scended from  a clan  of  some  mark  in  the  history  of  English 
and  Scottish  warfare.  Truly,  no  one  more  resembled  the 
gay  Cavaliers  who  followed  the  banner  of  King  Charles 
against  rough  Oliver  Cromwell,  than  did  the  Confederate 
General,  who  was  born  on  the  6th  of  February,  1833,  in 
Patrick  County,  Virginia.  Through  five  generations  his 
ancestry  can  be  traced  to  Archibald  Stuart,  a native  of 
Londonderry,  Ireland,  but  of  Scotch-Presbyterian  parent- 
age, who  was  compelled  to  come  to  America  on  account 
of  religious  persecution.  This  refugee  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania for  some  years,  but  removed  to  Virginia,  where  he 
acquired  large,  landed  estates.  His  second  son  fought 
in  the  American  Revolution  and  was  captured  by  the 
British  at  the  battle  of  Guilford  Court  House.  His  grand- 
son, a lawyer,  and  the  father  of  Jeb  Stuart, — was  a power- 
ful orator  and  advocate  who  possessed  great  wit  and  a rare 
gift  for  song.  These  characteristics  were  inherited  by  his 
son : the  seventh  and  youngest  child  of  a large  family. 

The  youth  of  General  Stuart  was  spent  at  the  old  home- 
stead, close  to  the  North  Carolina  line,  in  a beautiful,  moun- 
tainous district.  At  fourteen  he  attended  school,  and  in 
September  of  the  same  year  entered  Emory  and  Henry 
College  in  Washington  County,  Virginia.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  was  appointed  a cadet  at  West  Point,  where 
he  made  a splendid  record,  for  he  held  nearly  all  the  cadet 
offices  up  to  the  rank  of  Cavalry  Sergeant  and  Second 
Captain,  and  at  graduation  was  thirteenth  in  a class  of 
forty-two.  Not  long  after  this  he  received  a commission  as 
Second  Lieutenant  in  a Texas  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Rifles,  and  was  moved  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  Kansas, 


282  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


where  he  was  appointed  Regimental  Quartermaster  and 
Commissary;  a position  in  which  he  saw  his  first  active 
service  among  the  hostile  savages  who  barred  the  advance 
of  Western  civilization. 

The  Apache  Indians  had  met  the  advance  of  the  white 
settlers  into  their  hunting  grounds  with  a vindictive 
and  savage  spirit.  We  can  hardly  blame  the  poor  savage, 
who  loved  the  wild,  free  life  of  the  prairie,  for  hating  the 
whites  who  came  to  take  up  farms  upon  the  grazing  ground 
of  the  buffalo.  Yet  the  settlers  had  to  be  protected  against 
these  Indian  depredations,  for  the  savages  not  only  drove 
off  their  horses  and  cattle,  but  murdered  fathers,  mothers, 
and  little  children.  Stuart’s  command  was  ordered  out 
to  punish  them  for  their  cruel  and  relentless  warfare  against 
the  peaceable  whites,  and  so,  in  September  and  October, 
of  that  year,  the  troops  from  the  fort  did  much  marching 
and  counter-marching  in  the  endeavour  to  capture  the 
Indians.  But  it  was  of  no  avail,  as  the  Apaches  eluded 
the  slow-moving  column  of  blue-coats  and  made  off  to  the 
country  in  the  West,  after  inflicting  severe  damage  on  the 
outlying  ranches.  Wien  winter  came  on,  the  attempt  to 
capture  the  Indians  was  given  up  and  the  soldiers  returned 
to  their  barracks. 

During  the  winter  Lieutenant  Stuart  was  married  to  the 
daughter  of  Colonel  Philip  St.  George  Cook,  who  com- 
manded Fort  Riley : the  nearest  post  to  Fort  Leavenworth. 
In  the  Spring  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and 
was  soon  engaged  in  quelling  other  disturbances  besides 
those  which  came  from  the  Cheyennes  and  the  Apaches, 
for,  at  this  time  the  settlers  of  Kansas  were  having  a great 
number  of  disputes;  as  it  was  then  undetermined  whether 


JEB  STUART;  CAVALIER  283 

or  not  Kansas  should  be  a free  or  slave  State.  The  settlers 
who  came  from  the  North  were  at  dagger’s  point  with 
those  who  came  from  the  Southern,  slave-holding  states,  and 
blood-shed  was  only  averted  by  the  presence  of  the  govern- 
ment troops.  Amid  these  stirring  scenes,  Stuart  made 
the  acquaintance  of  “ Osawatomie  Brown,”  known 
afterwards  as  John  Brown  of  Harper’s  Ferry,  and  thus  was 
subsequently  able  to  identify  him  when  he  and  his  followers 
had  barricaded  themselves  in  the  engine  house  in  Western 
Virginia. 

Two  years  after  his  marriage,  Stuart’s  regiment  was 
again  ordered  to  punish  the  Indians,  who  were  growing 
more  and  more  bold  in  their  attacks  on  the  frontier.  The 
campaign  opened  in  the  early  summer,  and,  after  scouting 
in  every  direction,  at  last  the  Indian  trail  was  discovered. 
Following  upon  the  heels  of  the  savages,  the  United  States 
troops  came  upon  them  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Solomon 
River  in  Kansas,  where  there  were  about  three  hundred 
Cheyenne  warriors  in  all,  while  the  Government  force 
consisted  of  six  companies  of  the  First  Cavalry,  under 
General  Sumner.  The  Indians  were  vigorously  attacked, 
and,  after  making  an  attempt  to  stand,  they  fled  as  fast 
as  their  ponies  would  carry  them. 

Stuart  pursued  a small  band  for  five  miles,  and,  when  he 
finally  caught  the  Cheyennes,  one  of  his  men  — who  was 
rather  reckless  — was  about  to  be  shot  by  a dismounted 
warrior.  The  young  Lieutenant  rushed  at  the  Indian,  as 
he  crouched  behind  a tuft  of  sage-brush,  and  succeeded  in 
cutting  him  with  his  sabre  in  the  thigh.  The  Cheyenne  fired 
at  him  with  a revolver,  but  missed.  One  of  the  troopers  now 
rode  up,  and  dismounting,  said,  “ Wait,  I’ll  fetch  him.” 


284  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


But  unfortunately  his  rashness  nearly  cost  him  his  life,  for 
he  found  that  he  had  no  ammunition.  The  Indian  advanced 
towards  this  new  and  crippled  enemy,  raising  his  revolver 
as  he  did  so,  while  Stuart  rushed  to  the  rescue.  With  his 
sword  he  cut  the  savage  in  the  head,  but,  at  the  same 
moment  the  Indian  fired  his  revolver.  The  ball  hit  the 
young  officer  in  the  breast,  and,  as  luck  would  have  it, 
glanced  to  the  left  and  lodged  near  the  surface  of  the  skin 
without  inflicting  a mortal  wound. 

Colonel  Sumner  now  pursued  the  retreating  Indians 
southward  and  left  the  wounded  men  behind  in  a tem- 
porary fortification,  garrisoned  by  one  company  of  infantry. 
The  force  which  was  so  disposed  of  was  a little  less  than 
a hundred  miles  from  Fort  Kearney,  and,  as  soon  as  the 
wounded  were  sufficiently  recovered  to  be  moved ; Stuart 
— who  was  in  charge  — determined  to  return  to  the 
friendly  shelter  of  the  barracks.  His  wound  had  healed 
sufficiently  for  him  to  ride  a horse  when  the  detachment 
headed  in  the  direction  in  which  Fort  Kearney  was  thought 
to  be.  For  five  days  the  little  command  travelled  across 
the  alkali  plains,  suffering  much  from  heat  and  thirst,  — - 
and  then  suffered  a real  misfortune,  for  the  Pawnee  guides 
deserted.  The  soldiers  were  now  completely  lost,  for  there 
was  no  compass  in  the  party  and  no  one  knew  in  exactly 
which  direction  the  fort  lay.  It  was  a trying  time  for  the 
men,  so  trying,  that  some  of  the  wounded  gave  up  all  hope ; 
while  a few  even  seated  themselves  on  the  ground  and 
refused  to  go  farther.  But  Stuart’s  joyous  nature  would 
not  be  overcome  by  this  dilemma  and  he  determined  to 
press  forward  with  a chosen  number  of  the  braver  spirits. 
So,  leaving  the  command  near  a water  course  (where  the 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


285 


despairing  men  could  be  sure  of  having  a sufficient  supply 
of  liquid)  he  pushed  on  to  gain  relief,  and  for  two  days 
wandered  upon  the  plains  without  the  trace  of  either  trail 
or  wagon  road.  Finally,  on  the  third  day,  he  stumbled 
upon  the  mail  route  between  Fort  Leavenworth  and  Fort 
Phil  Kearney,  and  with  great  joy  and  enthusiasm  the  little 
band  galloped  along  the  wagon  ruts  of  the  overland  stage- 
coach. After  a journey  of  fifty-five  miles,  in  which  he 
suffered  greatly  from  his  recent  wound,  Stuart  rode  into 
Fort  Kearney,  whence  food  and  medicine  were  speedily 
dispatched  to  the  little  band,  left  behind.  In  this  Indian 
campaign  the  immature  Lieutenant  had  exhibited  those 
traits  of  fortitude  and  cheerfulness  that  were  to  make  such 
a successful  leader  in  the  impending  Civil  War. 

No  more  important  skirmishes  with  the  Indians  occurred 
during  the  next  three  years,  and  Stuart  was  comparatively 
free  from  hard  duty  until  1859.  He  was  at  that  time  in  the 
city  of  Washington  when  news  was  received  that  John 
Brown  had  raided  Harper’s  Ferry  with  a small  force  of 
armed  men,  and  was  endeavouring  to  stir  up  a revolution 
to  free  the  slaves.  Directly  opposite  Washington  — at 
Arlington,  Virginia  — lived  an  officer  in  the  United  States 
Army,  Lieutenant- Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  to  whom 
Stuart  was  directed  to  take  a secret  communication,  for  he 
had  been  selected  to  command  a detachment  of  marines 
sent  to  put  down  the  insurrection  and  to  capture  Oswa- 
tomie  Brown.  As  soon  as  the  young  Lieutenant  saw  that 
there  was  to  be  trouble,  he  volunteered  his  aid,  and  was 
allowed  to  accompany  the  expedition. 

John  Brown’s  entire  army  consisted  of  seventeen  white 
men  and  five  or  six  negroes  with  whom  he  had  begun  this 


286  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


war,  in  the  hope  that  he  would  soon  be  joined  by  others. 
After  tearing  up  the  railroad  track  and  cutting  the  telegraph 
wires,  his  men  marched  through  Harper’s  Ferry  and  freed  all 
the  slaves  held  by  the  men  of  wealth  in  the  community.  The 
inhabitants  were  soon  completely  in  his  power  and  he  had 
taken  fifty  or  sixty  prisoners.  When  Colonel  Lee  arrived, 
Brown  and  his  men  retreated  to  an  engine  house,  where 
they  barricaded  themselves.  Lieutenant  Stuart  was  sent 
to  the  door  of  the  building,  next  morning,  in  order  to 
parley  with  the  leader  of  the  band.  Finding  that  Brown 
would  not  yield,  the  marines  seized  a ladder,  with  which 
they  smashed  the  door  to  pieces ; rushed  into  the  opening ; 
and  all  was  over  with  John  Brown  and  his  raiders. 

This  was  the  first  step  in  the  agitation  for  the  freedom 
of  the  slaves,  which  culminated  in  the  secession  of  North 
Carolina  in  1861.  The  great  Civil  War  was  begun  with 
this  event,  but,  at  the  opening  of  hostilities,  Stuart  was  far 
from  the  scene  of  action  as  he  was  engaged  in  building 
a fortification  in  the  West  when  notified  of  the  condition 
of  affairs  in  the  South.  Immediately  resigning  from  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  he  hastened  to  Virginia,  where 
he  offered  his  sword  in  defence  of  the  State.  On  May  7th, 
1861,  his  resignation  as  an  officer  in  the  United  States 
service,  was  accepted.  He  was  immediately  appointed 
to  a Lieutenant  Colonelship  of  Infantry,  and  later,  was 
made  Colonel  of  Cavalry.  On  the  24th  of  September,  1861, 
he  was  created  Brigadier-General-of-Cavalry,  and  in  the 
year  following  — when  only  twenty-nine  years  of  age  — 
was  commissioned  Ala jor- General  of  all  the  cavalry  in 
the  army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

Soon  his  cavalry  had  become  a very  efficient  body  of 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


287 


men,  and  for  two  years  of  warfare,  the  Southern  horse 
were  infinitely  superior  to  the  Union  cavalry  in  esprit- 
de-corps  and  fighting  qualities.  It  was  only  after  lack  of 
recruits  and  fresh  horses  began  to  cripple  the  Virginian 
rangers  that  the  well-filled  ranks  of  the  Northern  cavalry 
regiments,  began  to  overwhelm  them  with  their  numerical 
superiority  and  aggressive  movements.  For  a long  time, 
the  Yellow  Jackets  of  Jeb  Stuart  had  everything  their  own 
way. 

At  Bull  Run  (the  first  battle  of  the  war,  which  resulted 
in  such  a disastrous  rout  for  the  Federal  army)  Stuart’s 
command  did  excellent  service.  On  the  day  of  the  battle, 
the  Union  troops  attacked  the  left  wing  of  the  Confederate 
army  and  had  doubled  it  back,  when  the  tide  of  battle 
suddenly  changed  in  favour  of  the  Confederates.  The 
New  York  Fire  Zouaves  were  charging  up  a hill  to  take 
the  position  from  the  Confederates,  when  some  fresh 
troops  fell  upon  their  right  flank.  As  they  threw  them 
into  confusion,  Stuart  made  a charge  with  his  cavalry. 
The  Union  troops  broke  and  fled  across  Bull  Run  in  the 
direction  of  Washington,  while  the  young  cavalryman 
urged  his  men  in  the  pursuit.  The  soldiers  in  gray  galloped 
among  the  fugitives,  causing  the  greatest  fear  and  conster- 
nation, for  there  had  been  rumours  in  the  Northern  army 
of  the  bloodthirsty  qualities  of  the  Black  Horse.  When 
this  terrible  cavalry  did  charge,  the  cry  was  heard  from 
man  to  man,  that  the  dreaded  Black  Horse  was  among 
them,  and  this  added  terror  to  their  already  terrified 
imaginations.  The  rout  became  a stampede.  Many  were 
sabred  as  they  tried  to  get  away;  and  it  was  only  when 
Centreville  was  reached  — half  way  to  Washington  — 


288  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


that  the  Black  Horse  desisted  in  following  up  the  fugitives. 
Hundreds  of  prisoners  were  taken  by  Stuart’s  men  during 
this  vainglorious  retreat,  and  Stuart,  himself,  was  highly 
complimented  by  General  Beaureguard  — in  command  of 
the  Southern  army  — who  said,  “He  secured  us  infor- 
mation of  the  utmost  importance,  and  his  services  in  pur- 
suit of  the  enemy  were  most  commendable.” 

After  this  first  battle  of  the  war,  the  Union  forces  were 
put  in  charge  of  General  George  B.  McClellan,  who 
drilled  them  in  Washington,  during  the  winter,  in  prepara- 
tion for  offensive  movements  against  Richmond  in  the 
Spring.  The  Union  troops  were  then  transported  to  the 
peninsula  that  juts  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean  just  below 
the  Confederate  Capital,  and  were  disembarked,  and  from 
this  point,  began  to  march  against  the  city.  Stuart’s  force 
had  been  posted  at  Fairfax  Court  House  — about  thirty 
miles  below  Washington  — during  the  winter,  and,  in 
March,  he  was  ordered  to  the  Peninsula,  to  repel  the 
advance  of  McClellan.  At  Yorktown  — where  Cornwallis 
had  surrendered  during  the  Revolution  — there  was  a 
sharp  fight.  The  Confederates  retreated  to  Williamsburg, 
and  here,  General  Stuart  had  command  of  the  Rear  Guard. 

In  spite  of  the  opposition,  McClellan  pushed  his  army 
well  towards  the  Confederate  Capital,  and,  by  the  eleventh 
of  June,  was  almost  in  sight  of  the  spires  of  Richmond. 
It  was  now  important  to  General  Lee  — who  had  com- 
mand of  the  Southern  army  — to  know  the  exact  positions 
of  this  advancing  host,  for  if  he  could  only  find  out  where 
the  different  Northern  regiments  and  batteries  were  placed, 
he  could  make  an  attack  on  the  weakest  portion  of  Mc- 
Clellan’s line  and  stand  an  excellent  chance  of  defeating 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER  289 

him.  So,  in  order  to  gather  information  of  the  strength 
and  arrangement  of  the  Union  forces,  General  Stuart 
was  ordered  to  ride  around  to  McClellan’s  rear,  on  a scout. 
In  a letter  from  General  Lee  to  him,  the  Confederate 
Commander-in-Chief  thus  outlines  the  plan  of  action, 
“ You  are  desired  to  make  a scout  movement,  to  the 
rear  of  the  enemy  now  posted  on  the  Chickahominy 
River,  with  a view  of  gaining  intelligence  of  his  operations, 
communications,  etc.,  of  driving  in  his  foraging  par- 
ties, and  securing  such  grain  and  cattle  for  ourselves 
as  you  can  make  arrangements  to  have  driven  in.  Another 
object  is  to  destroy  his  w^agon  trains  said  to  be  daily  passing 
from  the  Piping-Tree  road  to  his  camp  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy. The  utmost  vigilance  on  your  part  will  be 
necessary  to  prevent  any  surprise  to  yourself,  and  the 
greatest  caution  must  be  practised  in  keeping  well  in  your 
front  and  flanks,  reliable  scouts  to  give  you  information. 
You  will  return  as  soon  as  the  object  of  your  expedition 
is  accomplished,  and  you  must  bear  in  mind,  while  en- 
deavouring to  execute  the  general  purpose  of  your  mission, 
not  to  hazard  unnecessarily  your  command.  Be  content 
to  accomplish  all  the  good  you  can  without  feeling  it 
necessary  to  obtain  all  that  might  be  desired.” 

These  were  very  definite  instructions,  and  Stuart  carried 
them  out  in  a splendid  way.  He  not  only  found  out  all  that 
Lee  had  desired,  but  he  created  great  consternation  in  the 
Union  ranks.  He  not  only  rode  to  the  rear  of  the  Union 
army,  but  he  rode  completely  around  McClellan.  It  was 
a feat  that  has  seldom  been  equalled  in  campaigns  between 
troops  of  civilized  nations  and  it  inspired  his  men  with  great 
respect  for  his  daring.  It  marked  him  immediately  as  one 


290  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


of  the  most  dashing  and  resourceful  of  cavalry  leaders,  and 
filled  the  Union  troops  with  a certain  fear,  as  it  was  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  and  exciting  rides  in  the  history  of 
military  affairs. 

On  June  13th,  Stuart  moved  away  from  the  Confederate 
army  and  took  a northerly  route.  General  Stonewall 
Jackson  was  at  that  time  near  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
far  to  the  West  of  Richmond,  and  Stuart  wished  to  give 
the  impression  that  he  was  going  to  reinforce  him.  The 
troops  for  this  hazardous  scout,  consisted  of  twelve 
hundred  men,  commanded  by  Colonel  Fitzhugh  Lee, 
Colonel  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  and  Colonel  W.  T.  Martin,  to  which 
one  battery  of  flying  horse-artillery  was  attached.  With 
scouts  on  the  right,  videttes  in  advance,  and  guards  in  the 
rear,  the  Confederate  band  marched  twenty-two  miles 
to  a bridge  over  the  South  Anna  River.  Every  precaution 
was  taken  against  surprise  as  the  soldiers  quietly  went  into 
bivouac  at  the  edge  of  some  deep  woods.  At  sunrise  — 
without  giving  the  usual  bugle  call  — the  cavalrymen 
mounted,  and  turning  towards  McClellan’s  army,  in  a 
southeasterly  direction,  went  towards  a small  village 
called  Old  Church.  Signal  rockets  were  fired  in  the  early 
gray  of  the  dawn,  which  were  seen  and  answered  by  the 
Confederate  troops,  far  in  the  rear. 

Now  there  was  need  of  the  greatest  precaution,  for  Stu- 
art’s raiders  were  within  the  lines  of  the  L nion  army. 
Suddenly  the  advance  videttes  rode  upon  some  of  the 
enemy’s  outposts  of  horse  pickets,  two  of  which  were  cap- 
tured and  secured,  while  the  rest  galloped  off  to  report 
to  the  Union  Commander.  After  bringing  the  captives 
into  camp  it  was  discovered  that  a large  force  of  Federals 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


291 


would  soon  be  along  on  its  way  to  get  forage,  and,  as  it 
was  possible  to  capture  the  entire  body,  the  Confederate 
troops  were  hidden  in  the  woods  on  either  side  of  the  road. 
But,  in  a few  moments,  they  were  discovered  by  another 
Union  soldier  in  advance  of  a considerable  number  of 
cavalrymen,  and  seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  an 
ambuscade,  the  Confederate  cavalry  charged.  Down 
the  road  they  went  towards  Hanover  Court  House,  for  the 
Union  horsemen  took  to  their  heels  and  plunged  into  some 
reinforcements  of  the  Fifth  regular  cavalry,  drawn  up  in 
good  order  across  the  road.  The  leader  of  these,  elo- 
quently cheered  on  his  troops,  and  called  to  them  to  repel 
the  advancing  Confederates,  but,  it  was  of  no  avail. 
Flanking  the  Union  position,  Colonel  Fitz  Lee  made  a 
detour  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  this  force,  while  it  was 
charged  in  front  by  another  detachment  of  Virginia  Light 
Horse.  The  cavalrymen  in  blue,  broke  and  fled  precipi- 
tously, and,  as  their  camps  were  near-by,  it  was  not  long 
before  the  tents,  wagons,  and  supplies  were  in  flames. 
The  raiders  moved  forward  with  a light  heart.  More 
wagons  were  seized  and  burned ; commissary  stores 
were  captured  and  destroyed ; and  by  the  time  Stuart  had 
reached  Tunstall’s  Station,  over  a million  dollars’  worth 
of  Federal  property  had  been  made  away  with. 

As  the  victorious  troopers  scattered  hither  and  thither; 
collecting  valuable  horses  and  cattle;  making  prisoners; 
and  setting  fire  to  stone  houses;  a train  was  heard  ap- 
proaching. Soon  the  whistle  of  the  engine  sounded,  and 
immediately  every  Confederate  cavalryman  was  ranged 
beside  the  track,  fully  prepared  to  make  a splendid  cap- 
ture. Some  even  placed  heavy  logs  across  the  rails  in 


292  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


order  to  stop  the  advance  of  the  engine,  which  began  to 
slow  down,  because  the  engineer  thought  that  these  were 
Union  troops.  The  brakes  were  applied,  and  the  cars 
were  moving  very  slowly,  when  the  Confederates  suddenly 
opened  fire  upon  the  empty  box-cars  attached  to  the  loco- 
motive, and  filled  with  soldiers  for  McClellan’s  army. 
Seeing  his  error,  the  engineer  now  crowded  on  steam  and 
started  the  train  at  full  speed.  Many  of  the  Union  troops 
were  shot  down,  while  he  himself  fell  to  the  floor  of  his 
engine-house,  with  a desperate  wound,  just  as  the  cars 
collided  with  the  fallen  logs  and  pushed  them  aside. 
When  the  train  pulled  away,  the  Confederates  gave  a 
cheer  for  the  bravery  of  the  dying  engineer,  for  he  has  res- 
cued his  charges  from  their  hands  and  paid  for  his  bravery 
with  his  life’s  blood. 

The  railroad  bridge  at  Tunstall’s  was  next  destroyed, 
while  a great  quantity  of  provisions  and  many  wagons  were 
set  on  fire  by  Stuart’s  orders  near  White  House,  on  the 
Pamunkey  River,  — the  Union  base  of  supplies.  A 
detachment  had  been  sent  to  destroy  and  capture  whatever 
could  be  found  at  this  point.  Four  large  army  transports 
were  moored  here  in  the  river,  and  a wagon-yard  of  several 
hundred  wagons  was  upon  the  south  bank  of  the  Pamunkey. 
One  transport  escaped  and  floated  down  the  stream,  but 
the  other  three,  with  their  contents,  — valuable  quarter- 
master’s supplies,  army  clothing,  grain,  fruits,  and  sutler’s 
stores,  — were  soon  put  to  the  torch.  The  wagons  were 
likewise  set  on  fire,  and  many  prisoners  were  captured  and 
taken  along  on  Union  army  horses,  to  fill  the  dungeons 
in  Libby  prison. 

It  was  now  time  to  take  a rest,  so  Stuart  halted  the 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER  293 

troopers  at  New  Kent  Court  House,  where  the  General  had 
a conference  with  his  commanders  about  their  further 
movements,  for  they  were  directly  behind  the  Union  army, 
and  in  a hazardous  position.  Stuart  had  done  all  that 
General  Lee  wished  him  to  do.  He  had  found  out  where 
the  different  detachments  of  McClellan’s  army  were 
encamped  and  how  far  the  right  flank  extended,  but,  it 
must  be  decided  how  they  would  return  from  this  dangerous 
predicament  in  which  they  now  found  themselves.  In  order 
to  go  back  by  the  way  in  which  they  had  come,  the  Confeder- 
ates would  have  to  pass  Hanover  Court  House.  The  Confed- 
erate leader  knew  that  a strong  force  of  cavalry  was  nearby, 
and  that  those  whom  he  had  defeated  in  the  morning,  would 
be  strongly  reinforced.  The  South  Anna  River  was  to  the 
right  of  this  position,  which  was  difficult  to  ford  as  it  was 
swollen  by  heavy  rains.  Should  he  retrace  his  steps  he 
would  have  to  fight  his  way  through  fresh  troops,  greatly 
exasperated  by  his  success  and  infuriated  by  the  losses 
which  he  had  caused  them,  so  with  very  little  hesitation 
he  decided  to  pass  entirely  around  the  Union  army ; trust- 
ing that  he  could  cross  the  Chickahominy  River  below 
McClellan’s  left  flank,  before  troops  could  be  sent  to  cut 
him  off.  In  a brief  interview  with  his  officers  he  disclosed 
these  plans,  and  was  assured  by  all  that  they  would  give 
him  their  hearty  support  in  everything  which  he  did. 

At  New  Kent  was  an  extensive  Sutler’s  establishment. 
A Sutler  supplies  the  army  with  good  things  to  eat,  — extras, 
which  the  officers  and  men  pay  for  from  their  wages. 
Here  were  clothes  of  every  kind,  sabres,  pistols,  preserves, 
shoes,  wines,  liquors,  cigars  and  a host  of  things  which 
made  the  eyes  of  the  Confederate  troopers  sparkle  with 


294  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


delight.  As  a cavalryman  rode  up,  the  well-fed  proprietor 
was  lounging  in  front,  talking  to  several  Union  stragglers. 

“ Give  me  that  ere  pair  of  shoes,”  said  the  cavalryman. 

“ All  right,”  answered  the  Sutler,  taking  them  down 
from  a hook  and  handing  them  to  him.  “ Five  dollars, 
please.” 

The  Confederate  dismounted  very  slowly,  relieved  his 
feet  of  an  old  battered  pair  of  brogans,  and  put  on  the  new 
boots. 

“ I reckon  not,  pardner,”  he  said,  mounting  his  horse. 

“ I’ll  report  you  to  General  McClellan,”  yelled  the 
Sutler,  furious  with  rage. 

“ All  right,  mister,”  the  trooper  answered.  “ Mc- 
Clellan’s got  nothing  to  do  with  me.” 

Just  then  some  of  the  boys  in  gray  rode  up  and  the  poor 
Sutler  discovered  that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
When  he  demanded  pay,  he  was  greeted  with  roars  of 
laughter.  The  Soldiers  opened  his  champagne ; smoked 
his  cigars;  appropriated  new  clothes,  boots  and  shoes. 
When  they  left  for  the  Chickahominv  the  sleek  Sutler 
was  well  nigh  beside  himself  with  mortification  and  rage. 

At  midnight  the  command  marched  steadily  onward  to 
the  Chickahominy.  Aided  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  the 
troops  made  excellent  progress,  and,  by  daylight,  the  river 
had  been  reached.  But  the  recent  rains  had  swollen  the 
peaceful  stream  until  it  wTas  a torrent.  Here  was  a dilemma 
indeed  ! In  the  rear  were  the  infuriated  Federals,  now 
hot  upon  the  heels  of  the  raider.  In  the  front  was  a rush- 
ing, foaming  river.  But  the  men  -were  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency. Down  they  leaped  from  their  worn-out  horses  and 
soon  had  felled  a number  of  trees,  by  means  of  which  a 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER  295 

rude  bridge  was  thrown  over  the  flood  to  the  other  bank, 
constructed  on  the  remains  of  an  old,  worn-out  trestle. 

For  two  hours  the  men  worked  furiously,  Stuart  in  their 
midst,  singing  songs,  and  cheering  them  to  their  utmost 
exertion.  At  last  the  artillery  could  be  drawn  across  and 
so  the  column  passed  to  the  other  bank.  As  the  last  man 
came  safely  over  and  applied  the  torch  to  the  bridge,  the 
advance  guard  of  a large  force  of  Union  cavalry  appeared 
on  the  opposite  bank.  A shout  of  triumph  was  discharged 
in  the  direction  of  McClellan’s  troopers  and  Stuart’s  men 
rode  briskly  to  their  own  lines,  thus  ending  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  raids  in  history. 

With  the  dashing  General  were  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  prisoners  and  two  hundred  and  sixty  captured  mules 
and  horses.  Only  one  follower  had  been  killed  and  but 
one  loss  of  equipment  had  been  sustained  : a broken  limber- 
chest  of  the  flying  battery.  For  sixty  hours  the  troopers 
had  marched  continuously,  and  it  was  with  well-merited 
feelings  of  delight  that  the  raiders  galloped  along  the 
turn-pike  that  led  through  Charles  City  and  into  their  own 
lines,  where  they  were  greeted  with  great  demonstrations 
of  joy  and  appreciation  by  the  Southern  soldiers. 

Within  a very  few  days  Lee  was  joined  by  Stonewall 
Jackson’s  corps,  and  as  Stuart  had  found  the  weak  spot 
in  the  Union  Army,  which  was  the  right  flank,  Lee  ordered 
Jackson  to  fall  upon  this  portion  of  McClellan’s  line. 
On  the  27th  Jackson  attacked.  The  battle  fought  here, 
at  Mechanicsville,  was  the  first  of  seven  days  of  bloodshed, 
in  which  the  Union  army  was  driven  to  the  James  River, 
badly  defeated  and  with  lost  confidence  in  their  com- 
mander. Thus  the  influence  of  Stuart’s  raid  had  a two- 


296  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


fold  effect : it  gave  the  Confederates  a confidence  in  their 
leaders  and  it  made  it  possible  for  them  to  cripple  the 
advancing  forces.  It  also  weakened  the  Union  soldiers’ 
respect  for  their  own  Commander-in-Chief. 

The  fighting  in  Virginia  now  shifted  from  the  Peninsula 
to  the  Rapidan  River,  about  sixty  miles  below  Washing- 
ton in  Central  Virginia.  General  Pope,  in  command  of  an 
army,  entirely  separate  from  the  army  of  General  McClel- 
lan, was  camped  near  Cedar  Mountain,  where  Stonewall 
Jackson  and  Longstreet  fell  upon  him  and  drove  him  across 
the  Rappahannock  River.  General  Lee  hastened  forward 
from  Richmond  to  reinforce  the  victorious  Confederates, 
while  General  Stuart  decided  to  make  another  daring  raid 
to  the  rear  of  the  Union  Army.  Selecting  a dark  night,  to 
cloak  the  movements  of  his  men,  he  crossed  the  river  far 
above  the  Union  camp  and  fell  upon  Catlett’s  Station,  on 
the  railroad  behind  the  Northern  troops. 

It  was  now  most  important  to  find  out  what  disposition 
had  been  made  of  the  Union  force,  as  in  front  of  the  Con- 
federates were  hundreds  of  camp  fires,  around  which  the 
Union  soldiers  were  laughing  and  talking,  preparing  for  a 
night  of  fancied  repose.  In  order  to  do  this  Stuart’s  men 
occupied  the  roads  and  soon  caught  enough  passers-by 
to  learn  what  was  before  them.  The  captives  thought, 
at  first,  that  these  were  their  own  men,  and  asked  what 
right  the  pickets  had  to  arrest  them,  but  when  the  officers 
whispered  that  the  terrible  “ Jeb  ” Stuart  was  near-by, 
the  frightened  soldiers  soon  ceased  to  make  an  outcry 
and  gave  all  the  information  that  was  desired.  One 
portion  of  Stuart’s  command  was  immediately  directed 
to  obstruct  the  railroad  track ; one  to  cut  the  telegraph 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


297 


wires ; and  one  to  burn  the  bridge.  All  was  soon  ready, 
and,  when  a shrill  whistle  sounded,  the  troopers  rushed 
upon  the  unsuspecting,  Union  soldiers.  The  night  was 
perfectly  dark,  the  only  light  upon  the  scene  being  from 
the  smouldering  blaze  of  the  fires  and  from  the  flicker  of 
candles  in  the  tents.  A terrific  yell  arose,  as  the  squadrons 
galloped  to  the  attack,  which  was  followed  by  the  rattle 
of  pistol  shots  and  the  occasional  report  of  a musket  as 
some  Union  soldier  picked  up  his  weapon  from  the  ground 
and  fired. 

Stuart’s  cavalry  immediately  began  to  make  prisoners 
and  to  destroy  all  that  could  not  be  safely  taken  away. 
Pope’s  baggage  train  was  a particular  prize.  They 
burned  his  private  ambulance,  all  his  personal  belongings, 
and  captured  much  valuable  correspondence.  Four,  fine, 
white  mules  for  the  General’s  personal  use,  were  appro- 
priated, and  also  some  papers,  giving  the  exact  strength 
and  disposition  of  the  Union  army.  The  Quartermaster 
was  captured  and  his  commissary  safes  were  broken  into. 
Many  hundreds  of  dollars,  intended  to  pay  the  northern 
soldiers,  were  divided  among  the  Southern  cavalrymen, 
while  three  hundred  and  ninety  prisoners;  all  of  Pope’s 
staff  horses ; and  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  more,  were 
captured.  From  the  Confederate  view-point  the  attack 
had  been  a splendid  success. 

After  the  charge  was  over,  and,  as  Stuart  made  his  way 
back  to  the  river,  a terrible  rainstorm  came  up.  The 
wind  blew,  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  the  thunder  pealed  as 
loud  as  the  guns  of  a battery.  It  was  so  dark  that  the 
troopers  could  see  only  two  or  three  feet  before  them  and 
so  remained  on  their  horses  throughout  the  night,  re- 


298  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


treating  to  the  Rappahannock  at  the  first  flush  of  dawn. 
They  soon  crossed  and  were  back  again  with  Lee,  Long- 
street,  and  Jackson,  bringing  such  valuable  information 
with  them  that  it  was  now  possible  to  advance  against  Pope 
and  completely  outwit  him.  It  was  another  feather  in  the 
cap  of  Jeb  Stuart,  and  it  made  him  more  beloved  and  re- 
spected by  his  own  men,  than  ever  before. 

A few  days  later,  Stonewall  Jackson  was  sent  around  to 
the  rear  of  Pope’s  army.  He  placed  himself  between  his 
adversary  and  Washington,  making  a wide  detour  through 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  in  order  to  do  so.  Pope  retreated  to 
Gainsville  — just  below  the  battlefield  of  First  Bull  Run  — 
and  there  unsuccessfully  fell  upon  Jackson.  Lee  and 
Longstreet  soon  came  up  and  pounded  the  Union  army 
into  such  shreds  that  the  Federal  commander  was  forced  to 
retreat  to  Washington.  When  they  saw  this  turn  of  events, 
the  Confederates  invaded  western  Maryland,  where  they 
were  met  at  Antietam  by  General  McClellan,  who  had 
brought  his  troops  north  from  the  battlefields  before 
Richmond.  The  Southern  army  wTas  defeated  in  the 
attempt  to  raid  the  North,  and  so  retired  back  again  into 
Virginia. 

In  all  this  fighting,  Stuart’s  cavalry  played  an  important 
part  and  was  constantly  engaged.  But  when  the  army 
had  been  driven  back  into  Virginia,  the  daring  cavalry 
leader  thought  it  time  for  another  raid  around  the  aggres- 
sive Federals.  The  Northern  press  was  loud  in  its  praise 
of  McClellan  and  congratulating  itself  that  “ the  rebels  ” 
had  been  driven  from  Northern  soil,  when  Stuart,  with  a 
force  of  thirteen  hundred  men,  left  the  Confederate  front, 
forded  the  upper  waters  of  the  Potomac,  and  rode  for  the 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


299 


Union  rear  at  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.  Before  his 
men  galloped  into  the  town  they  were  preceded  by  an 
advance  guard.  This  had  passed  through,  when  a German 
Major  of  the  Union  army,  with  a fierce,  bristling  mous- 
tache, cantered  up  to  the  City  Hall.  Halting  there,  in 
the  presence  of  some  countrywomen,  he  cried  out,  “ Vere 
ish  de  confounded  repels  ? Vere  ish  de  goot-for-nodings 
Stuart  ? Vere  ish  he  mit  de  Cavalrie  ? Let  me  but  see 
him  unt  I vill  show  him  somedings  dat  de  Union  cavalrie 
can  do.” 

“ Why,”  said  one  of  the  women,  “ Some  of  Fitzhugh 
Lee’s  cavalry  have  just  passed  through.” 

“ Goot,  young  woman,”  cried  the  Major,  “ Ve  vill 
show  de  repels  somedings.” 

He  started  down  the  road  with  his  men  and  had  not  gone 
far  before  numbers  of  Stuart’s  horsemen  dashed  into  the 
town.  The  gallant  Major  was  flabbergasted.  He  swore; 
he  yelled ; he  put  spurs  to  his  horse ; but  the  nag  wras  not 
fast  enough  to  carry  him  away  from  “ de  repels,”  who 
soon  had  him  securely  bound  to  a mule  and  marching 
in  the  rear  of  their  column. 

Stuart’s  troopers  took  possession  of  the  towm,  captured 
and  destroyed  much  public  property,  and  then  mounted 
themselves  on  fresh  horses.  Without  losing  a man,  and 
without  a mishap,  they  again  rode  completely  around  the 
Union  army.  It  was  another  gallant  exploit.  The  North 
was  astonished ; the  South  was  jubilant  and  at  that 
moment,  Stuart  was  at  the  zenith  of  his  power ; his  men 
w'ere  confident  in  his  ability;  flushed  with  the  success  that 
had  always  attended  their  raids ; and  rich  with  the  spoils 
of  their  campaigns.  The  Union  cavalry  was  inefficient 


300  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


and  unaggressive,  but  in  two  more  years  the  tide  was 
to  turn  so  that  the  Union  force  was  to  be  the  aggressive, 
active,  combatant;  while  lack  of  horses,  supplies,  and 
men  was  to  crush  the  spirit  and  fire  of  the  once  powerful 
Confederate  horse. 

After  numerous  skirmishes  with  the  Union  army,  the 
Confederates  finally  retreated  across  the  Rappahannock 
River  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  and  here  fortified.  In 
December,  the  Union  army  under  Burnside  — who  had 
superseded  McClellan  - - made  an  ineffectual  attempt 
to  dislodge  them.  In  this  battle  Stuart  was  on  the  right  of 
the  Confederate  battle  line,  where  he  directed  the  horse 
artillery  and  made  great  havoc  in  the  left  flank  of  the  Union 
advance.  Immediately  after  his  bloody  fight,  away  went 
Stuart  and  his  men  on  another  raid  against  the  Union 
rear.  As  usual,  the  raid  was  most  successful  and  resulted 
in  the  capture  of  numerous  prisoners  and  a large  amount 
of  booty. 

The  Confederate  cavalry  leader  had  endeavoured  to 
throw  a number  of  the  Generals  operating  against  him  into 
a state  of  utter  confusion,  by  intercepting  their  dispatches 
and  answering  them  in  such  a way  that  his  pursuers  would 
be  scattered  all  over  the  country.  With  the  raiders  was 
always  a telegraph  operator  who  carried  a portable  in- 
strument. This  he  would  attach  to  the  wires  at  a certain 
point,  and  thus  he  could  read  all  the  messages  that  were 
transmitted.  One  day  a large  number  of  mules,  sent  by 
the  Union  Quartermaster-General  to  Burnside’s  army, 
fell  into  Stuart’s  hands.  Accordingly  the  General  called 
his  telegraph  operator,  told  him  to  attach  his  machine 
to  the  wires,  and  sent  this  message,  — 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


301 


‘ I am  much  satisfied  with  the  transport  of  mules, 
lately  sent,  which  I have  taken  possession  of,  and  request 
that  you  send  me  a fresh  supply. 

“ J.  E.  B.  Stuart.” 

You  can  easily  imagine  what  excitement  and  chagrin 
this  produced  in  Washington  when  it  was  received  at 
Headquarters. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  Confederate 
cavalry  to  have  had  such  a bold  and  daring  front,  had 
they  not  had  such  an  indefatigable  leader.  Many  Eng- 
lish officers  in  the  wars  with  tribes  of  hostile  natives  in 
Africa  and  India,  have  been  noted  for  their  powers  to 
resist  fatigue.  None,  however,  have  a better  record  for 
great  energy  under  trying  circumstances  than  General 
Stuart.  Frequently  he  would  go  for  eighteen  hours  with 
lack  of  sleep.  It  was  no  new  thing  for  him  to  ride  fifty 
miles  during  the  day,  and  to  regard  it  as  a pleasure  to 
ride  a dozen  a day  more  miles  at  night,  in  order  to  dance 
at  some  Virginia,  country  house.  With  his  banjo  player 
to  assist  in  the  fun,  Stuart  would  frequently  visit  every 
hospitable  roof  within  ten  miles  of  headquarters,  salute  all 
the  inmates  with  a song,  and  return  to  his  own  bed  long 
after  midnight.  Yet,  at  dawn  he  would  be  the  earliest 
to  rise,  in  perfect  good  humour  with  all  the  world.  He 
never  used  tobacco,  wine,  or  any  stimulant.  His  good 
spirits  were  due  to  an  iron  constitution  and  an  optimistic 
spirit. 

Burnside  was  succeeded  by  “ Fighting  Joe  Hooker,” 
and  again  the  Union  army  attacked  the  Confederates  at 
Fredericksburg.  In  April  Hooker  endeavoured  to  ma- 


302  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


noeuvre  the  wily  General  Lee  from  his  strong  position.  The 
armies  met  in  the  woods,  near  Chancellorsville,  where 
Stuart’s  command  was  actively  engaged  in  the  four  days 
of  fighting  that  followed.  When  Hooker’s  cavalry,  under 
Stoneman,  crossed  the  river,  the  Confederate  horsemen 
impeded  them  most  successfully.  Stuart  fought  Stoneman 
at  the  fords  of  the  Rapidan  River,  hung  on  Hooker’s 
flanks,  and,  after  beating  off  the  Union  cavalry,  fell  upon 
the  infantry  in  the  wilderness  of  woods  and  thickets  near 
Chancellorsville.  Soon  he  marched  to  Spottsylvania 
Court  House  so  as  to  be  near  Lee’s  army. 

Hooker  had  securely  entrenched  in  the  wilderness  so  Lee 
decided  to  send  Stonewall  Jackson  on  a long  ddtour 
through  the  woods,  with  orders  to  fall  on  the  Union  right 
flank.  Jackson  marched  all  day  through  the  deep  forest, 
his  army  covered  by  Fitzhugh  Lee’s  cavalry ; commanded 
in  person  by  General  Stuart.  Late  in  the  afternoon, 
Jackson’s  men  burst  furiously  through  the  timber  upon 
the  Eleventh  Corps,  far  on  the  Union  right.  The  troops 
were  stampeded,  and,  throwing  down  their  guns,  rushed 
to  the  rear.  It  looked  like  a sure  victory  for  the  Con- 
federates, — a total  rout.  But,  as  they  pushed  victoriously 
forward,  — the  great  Stonewall  Jackson  fell.  His  death 
stopped  the  advance,  for  the  Union  troops  were  fighting 
gamely,  and  it  needed  the  presence  of  Jackson  to  spur 
them  on.  General  Stuart,  in  person,  commanded  the 
attack  after  Jackson  had  fallen,  and  how  he  and  his  staff 
officers,  who  galloped  up  and  down  the  line,  remained 
unhurt,  seems  almost  a miracle.  Several  couriers  sent  by 
General  Stuart  were  wounded,  — - one  had  his  leg  torn 
away  by  a cannon-ball  while  the  General  was  giving  him 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER  303 

directions.  Stuart’s  horse  was  killed  under  him  in  the 
first  half-hour  of  the  fight.  In  spite  of  this,  he  secured 
another  mount,  and  was  all  activity  in  the  hail  of  shot  and 
shell.  A soldier  says  of  him  that  when  the  fight  was  most 
severe  he  heard  him  hum  the  words  of  an  old  song  that 
was  most  popular  at  the  South,  “ Old  Joe  Hooker,  get 
out  of  the  Wilderness.” 

The  Union  army  rallied  from  the  shock  of  Jackson’s 
attack  and  held  off  the  victorious  Confederates  from  new 
entrenchments  thrown  up  behind  their  first  line.  But, 
after  another  day  of  desperate  fighting,  Hooker’s  men 
retreated  across  the  river.  Lee  was  so  much  elated  at  the 
success  of  his  army  that  he  determined  to  act  upon  the 
offensive  and  again  invade  the  North,  so  he  deserted  his 
old  position  at  Fredericksburg  and  moved  towards  the 
Shenandoah  Mountains. 

On  the  ninth  of  June,  Pleasanton  — who  had  super- 
seded General  Stoneman  in  command  of  the  Union  cavalry 
— crossed  the  Rappahannock  River  in  order  to  recon- 
noitre and  discover  if  the  Confederate  army  were  really 
moving.  Stuart  met  him  at  Brandy  Station,  and  here  the  two 
great  bodies  of  cavalry  came  together  in  a desperate 
encounter.  It  was  the  first  time  in  the  war  that  a complete 
force  of  Union  cavalry  had  met  the  entire  Confederate 
cavalry  brigade.  Perhaps  this  was  as  large  a battle  between 
mounted  men  as  will  occur  in  the  United  States.  Certainly 
it  was  a severe  encounter,  and,  although  it  lasted  for  two 
days,  the  result  was  most  undecided.  Stuart  claimed  it 
as  a victory,  but  Pleasanton  had  done  as  he  had  wished,  — 
he  had  proved  that  the  Union  cavalry  could  fight  a stub- 
born contest  with  the  Confederates,  and  the  result  had 


304  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


given  confidence  to  the  Northern  troops.  For  the  first  time 
they  felt  that  they  could  stand  up  against  the  invincible 
Virginia  rangers,  and  Pleasanton  had  found  that  Lee  was 
moving  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  great  force. 

The  Confederate  army  had  soon  passed  behind  the 
spurs  of  mountains  that  sheltered  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Shenandoah,  and  had  crossed  the  Potomac  River  into 
Maryland.  The  Union  troops  closely  followed  Lee’s 
men,  always  keeping  between  the  invaders  and  Washington. 
Finally  the  two,  great  fighting  machines  met  on  the  bloody 
field  of  Gettysburg  in  Pennsylvania.  Here  the  Con- 
federates attacked,  while  the  soldiers  who  had  been  on  the 
aggressive  in  Virginia,  were  now  the  defenders  of  the 
advantageous  positions.  So  vigorously  was  the  ground 
contested  that  Lee  was  again  forced  to  abandon  an  in- 
vasion of  the  North. 

In  this  campaign  Stuart  again  passed  around  the  Union 
army  — Meade’s  army  now  — for  the  fighting  Joe  Hooker 
had  been  superseded  by  this  cautious  General.  Shortly 
after  that  bloody  affair  at  Brandy  Station,  information 
received  from  his  scouts  led  the  Confederate  cavalry 
leader  to  the  belief  that  he  could  inflict  very  serious 
damage  upon  the  opposing  force  should  he  again  make  one 
of  those  daring  raids  to  the  rear.  It  was  thought  that  the 
Federal  Commander  would  be  so  confused  by  the  presence 
of  a large  cavalry  command  behind  his  own  force,  that 
he  would  retreat.  This  plan  was  submitted  to  General 
Lee,  and,  as  all  the  roads  leading  northward  were  blocked 
by  masses  of  infantry  and  artillery,  it  can  be  easily  seen 
that  there  would  be  much  delay  before  the  cavalry  could 
pass.  So  Lee  decided  to  allow  the  adventurous  Stuart  to 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


305 


make  a wide  circle  around  the  backs  of  his  foe  and  meet 
the  head  of  the  invading  Confederate  column  at  York, 
Pennsylvania,  near  the  spot  where  the  army  was  to  con- 
centrate and  fight  a decisive  battle.  But,  before  he  sepa- 
rated from  Lee’s  army,  Stuart  ordered  a sufficient  number 
of  cavalrymen  to  remain  behind,  in  order  to  guard  the 
advance  of  the  infantry  columns;  to  scout;  and  to  bring 
information  of  the  enemy’s  movements.  As  subsequently 
turned  out,  these  did  not  do  their  duty  in  an  effective 
manner,  and  the  absence  of  Stuart  made  it  impossible  for 
General  Lee  to  know  the  precise  disposition  of  the  troops 
against  which  he  was  moving.  It  has  been  often  said  that, 
had  Stuart  remained  with  Lee,  the  battle  of  Gettysburg 
would  have  turned  out  far  differently  for  the  South. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  June  the  Confederate  cavalry 
column  crossed  to  the  rear  of  the  Union  army  and  began 
to  march  through  Maryland  to  the  place  in  Pennsylvania 
where  they  were  to  meet  the  Confederate  advance.  As  the 
head  of  the  troop  pushed  towards  the  Potomac  River, 
along  came  a magnificent,  shiny  carriage,  in  which  was 
a gentleman  dressed  in  a serge  suit.  The  troopers  were 
rather  too  closely  massed  for  the  carriage  to  pass  by. 

“ Move  aside,  men,  move  aside ! ” said  the  gentleman 
in  the  new  clothes.  “ I am  an  officer  in  the  Seventy-ninth 
Pennsylvania  regiment  on  recruiting  service  for  the  United 
States  army,  and  must  get  on.” 

The  cavalrymen  moved  aside  very  slowly  and  just  then, 
General  Stuart  rode  up. 

“ Are  you  the  officer  in  command  ? ” asked  the  Federal 
officer,  little  suspecting  who  he  was. 

“ I am  in  charge  of  these  soldiers,”  replied  the  General. 


306  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ Then  be  good  enough  to  order  your  men  to  make 
way  for  me.  I am  an  officer  in  the  Seventy-ninth  Pennsyl- 
vania and  it  is  very  important  that  I get  ahead  as  rapidly 
as  I can.” 

“ Very  good,  sir,  you  shall  get  ahead,”  said  General 
Stuart,  winking  at  one  of  his  men,  who  got  dowm  from 
his  horse  and  took  a seat  next  to  the  well-dressed  recruiting 
officer.  The  occupant  of  the  carriage  showed  that  he  -was 
annoyed. 

“ What  do  you  mean,  my  man,  by  climbing  in  here ! ” 
he  thundered. 

The  cavalryman  looked  at  him  and  smiled  very  faintly. 
“ Nothing,”  he  answered. 

“ Who  is  that  officer,  there  ? ” 

“ General  Stuart,  sir.” 

“ What  General  Stuart?  ” 

“ Jeb.  Stuart,  Major-General  of  Cavalry  in  the  Con- 
federate service,”  replied  the  trooper,  very  slowly. 

The  recruiting  officer  for  the  Pennsylvania  Seventy- 
ninth  sank  back  upon  the  cushions. 

“ Well,  I am  procured,”  he  said.  “ I certainly  am 
procured.” 

“ I rather  guess  that  you  are,  pardner,”  answered  the 
soldier  by  his  side,  and  the  carriage  vras  turned  to  the  rear, 
where  the  pompous  officer  was  soon  dispatched  to  a 
Southern  prison. 

For  nine  days  the  Confederate  cavalry  marched  and 
fought  on  the  way  to  rejoin  the  army.  Canals,  railroads, 
and  telegraph  lines  were  destroyed  between  Washington 
and  the  cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  so  that,  for 
some  time,  all  communication  was  cut  off  between  the 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


307 


Government  and  the  army  under  Meade.  A great  many 
prisoners  were  taken  while  several  wagon  trains  were 
captured  and  burned.  On  the  thirteenth  of  June  Stuart 
reached  Hanover,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  stumbled 
across  a large  force  of  Union  cavalry  under  Kilpatrick. 
A fight  ensued,  and  though  neither  side  was  driven  from 
the  field,  it  detained  General  Stuart  for  a whole  day.  He 
had  now  been  separated  from  Lee’s  army  for  six  days,  and 
all  he  knew  of  the  movements  of  the  troops  was  from 
Northern  newspapers  which  fell  into  his  hands.  From 
these  he  learned  that  the  Confederate  army  was  at  York, 
Pennsylvania,  and  so  he  hastened  to  join  the  infantry 
of  his  own  side.  For  some  time  he  searched  rather  aim- 
lessly for  the  Confederate  column  and  finally  arrived 
upon  the  field  of  Gettysburg  on  the  second  day  of  fighting. 
The  raid  had  been  most  successful  in  so  far  as  the  capture 
of  prisoners  and  private  property  had  been  concerned, 
and  Stuart  had  damaged  the  Union  line  of  communica- 
tions and  spread  much  terror  and  confusion  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  peaceful  communities  through  which 
he  had  passed.  Yet  he  arrived  upon  the  field  with  his 
horses  so  worn  out  that  they  could  not  be  effectively  used, 
and  his  men  were  so  tired,  from  lack  of  sleep,  that  they 
could  not  fight  with  their  usual  spirit.  General  Lee,  too, 
had  needed  the  cavalry  to  keep  him  well  informed  of 
Meade’s  advance.  But  the  mischief  was  now  done,  and, 
although  the  adventurous  spirit  of  Stuart  had  been  grati- 
fied by  another  dash  to  the  rear,  it  would  have  been  better 
for  the  Confederate  Commander  had  his  famous  cavalry- 
man been  personally  in  charge  of  the  scouts  in  advance 
of  his  infantry  columns. 


308  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Although  his  men  were  weary  and  his  horses  worn  out, 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  of  the  battle,  they  were 
called  upon  to  make  a dash  to  the  right  and  rear  of  Meade’s 
position.  The  men  responded  with  their  usual  cheer- 
fulness, but,  met  by  a stubborn  resistance  by  the  cavalry 
under  Buford  and  Pleasanton,  they  were  fought  to  a stand- 
still. Here  General  Custer  distinguished  himself  with  that 
reckless  daring  which  was  to  make  him  such  a successful 
fighter  of  Indians  in  later  years,  and  here  the  confidence 
which  the  Union  cavalry  had  gained  in  the  battle  of  Brandy 
Station  made  it  possible  for  them  to  contend  with  Stuart’s 
raiders  with  a far  better  determination  than  they  had 
shown  before.  After  a bloody  assault  on  the  Union  centre 
that  day,  with  the  columns  of  Pickett,  Pettigrew,  and 
Trimble;  General  Lee  withdrew  his  troops  for  a retreat, 
and,  as  he  slowly  marched  to  the  South,  Stuart  and  his 
men  protected  his  rear  from  assault.  It  was  hard  service 
for  the  youthful  cavalry  leader,  but  he  conducted  himself 
with  the  greatest  bravery  and  never  urged  his  men  forward 
with  more  cheerfulness  than  now.  The  Confederate 
advance  was  the  last  that  the  Southern  army  was  to  make. 
It  had  been  a complete  failure,  but,  in  spite  of  this,  Stuart 
was  buoyant  with  the  prospect  of  ultimate  victory;  a 
prospect  which  many  of  the  officers  had  already  begun  to 
despair  of. 

Now  Lee’s  army  was  once  more  in  Virginia  and  the 
Union  van  confronted  it  with  as  much  determination  as 
ever.  There  was  much  skirmishing  that  fall  near  the 
Rappahannock  and  the  Rapidan,  but  little  came  of  these 
encounters.  Both  armies  retired  to  winter  quarters, 
waiting  for  the  warmth  of  Spring  before  they  would  again 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER  309 

grapple  in  the  field  of  war.  In  December  Stuart  made 
another  of  his  dashing  raids,  this  time  the  last,  and  in 
January  he  frequently  captured  pickets  and  supplies  meant 
for  the  Union  troops.  As  Spring  approached  the  North 
prepared  for  a desperate  advance  on  the  Southern  forces. 
General  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  now  entrusted  with  the 
command  of  all  the  armies  of  the  Union,  superseding 
Meade,  who  was  left  still  in  full  charge  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  but  under  Grant’s  direction.  General  Philip 
H.  Sheridan  was  given  command  of  the  cavalry  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 

When  the  weather  was  sufficiently  warm  to  permit  the 
artillery  to  move  over  the  dried-up  roads,  the  Union  host 
crept  forward  from  its  camp  near  Culpepper,  Virginia, 
and  attacked  Lee  in  the  forests.  A terrible  battle  ensued. 
It  lasted  for  four  days  and  the  loss  of  men  on  both  sides 
was  heavy.  This  struggle  has  been  called  the  Battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  for  the  troops  were  hurled  against  each  other 
in  a perfect  tangle  of  woods  and  thickets  where  the  under- 
brush caught  fire  from  the  exploding  shells,  and  many 
poor  fellows  gave  up  their  lives  in  the  flames.  It  was  the 
most  desperate  fighting  of  the  war. 

At  this  time  Grant  determined  to  adopt  the  cavalry 
tactics  previously  employed  against  him  by  General  Stuart. 
Consequently  he  ordered  Sheridan,  with  twelve  hundred 
horse,  to  move  to  the  rear  of  Lee’s  army  as  he  grappled 
with  it  in  the  Wilderness,  and  if  possible  to  get  into  Rich- 
mond. He  was  also  told  to  damage  the  communications 
of  the  Confederate  force,  as  much  as  possible.  Sheridan 
was  an  active,  aggressive  fighter  and  was  soon  in  the  rear 
of  Lee’s  troops. 


310  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


On  the  eleventh  of  May,  the  people  of  Richmond  were 
thrown  into  great  excitement  by  the  advance  of  the  Union 
cavalry  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  Several  brigades  of 
infantry  were  sent  forward  for  its  defence ; the  militia  was 
called  out ; and  all  the  troops  that  could  be  collected  were 
hastened  to  the  line  of  earth-works  that  surrounded  the 
Capital  of  the  South.  Sheridan’s  men,  under  Merritt 
and  Custer,  were  pushing  rapidly  towards  Richmond 
when  they  were  overtaken  by  Stuart’s  cavalry,  led  by  the 
General  in  person.  At  a small  place  called  Yellow  Tavern 
the  two  cavalry  commands  came  together,  and,  with  only 
eleven  hundred  men,  the  daring  Stuart  was  soon  engaged 
with  eight  thousand.  It  was  nothing  to  him  to  see  that  the 
enemy  so  outnumbered  him,  for  he  would  have  attacked 
twice  that  number  to  save  the  Capital  of  the  people  whom 
he  loved.  Resides,  he  hoped  for  assistance  from  a column 
of  Confederate  infantry,  some  distance  in  the  rear,  and 
he  knew  that  if  he  could  check  Sheridan’s  force  until  these 
reinforcements  arrived,  he  could,  no  doubt,  capture  a 
large  portion  of  the  command.  So  he  dashed  in  valiantly; 
fighting  with  his  accustomed  valour  ana  enthusiasm. 

At  about  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Federal 
cavalry  made  a general  charge  and  broke  up  a regiment 
of  Confederate  horse  which  General  Stuart  wras  attempting 
to  rally  in  an  open  field.  The  Union  soldiers  pushed 
onward  and  were  met  by  the  First  Virginia,  which  drove 
them  back  in  confusion.  The  Confederate  General  vTas 
well  in  front  of  his  men  when  he  sawr  some  dismounted 
troopers  running  off  on  the  opposite  side  of  a high  fence. 
He  immediately  called  out  to  them  to  surrender  and  fired 
at  them  with  his  revolver  as  they  continued  their  flight. 


JEB  STUART:  CAVALIER 


311 


Unfortunately  he  shot  away  his  last  cartridge.  One  of 
the  men,  who  had  been  running  away,  halted,  came  back, 
ran  up  to  the  fence,  and  fired  his  revolver  at  the  General. 
The  ball  went  clear  through  him,  and,  feeling  that  he  was 
mortally  wounded,  he  W'heeled  his  charger  and  galloped 
off  to  the  rear  of  his  own  troops,  where  he  fell  from  his 
horse,  insensible.  He  was  sent  to  Richmond  in  an  ambu- 
lance. 

As  he  lay  upon  a cot,  gradually  sinking  in  death,  he  was 
visited  by  the  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
Taking  the  General’s  hand  in  his,  President  Davis  asked 
him  how  he  felt. 

“ Easy,”  replied  Stuart,  “ but  willing  to  die  if  God  and 
my  country  think  that  I have  fulfilled  my  destiny  and  done 
my  duty.”  The  President  wras  much  affected  by  the  sight 
of  this  splendid  leader  in  his  last  hour,  and  soon  left  the 
bedside,  his  head  bowed  in  the  deepest  grief. 

As  evening  approached  the  young  General  grew  delirious 
and  his  mind  wandered  to  the  scenes  of  his  recent  cam- 
paigns. He  spoke  of  his  men ; he  seemed  to  see  them 
before  him ; he  called  to  them  and  urged  them  on  to  the 
charge.  Then  his  mind  wrandered  to  his  wife  and  children, 
v'ho  were  far  away  in  the  country  and  were  then  hastening 
to  his  bedside.  About  five  o’clock  his  mind  grew  clear 
and  he  asked  Dr.  Brewer,  his  brother-in-law,  how  long  he 
felt  it  possible  for  him  to  live,  and  if  he  thought  that  he 
could  survive  the  night. 

“ No,”  replied  the  Doctor,  tearfully,  “ You  cannot 
last  much  longer.” 

“ I am  resigned,”  replied  the  General,  “ If  it  is  God’s 
will.  I should  like  so  much,  to  see  my  wife  before  I die. 
But  God’s  will  be  done.” 


312  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


He  then  told  those  near  him  what  to  do  with  his  personal 
belongings  and  official  papers.  He  remembered  a request 
from  an  admirer  and  said  to  his  brother-in-law,  “ You 
will  find  in  my  hat  a small,  Confederate  flag  which  a lady 
in  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  sent  to  me  with  the  request 
that  I should  wear  it  upon  my  head  in  a battle  and  return 
it  to  her.  It  has  been  done,  send  it  to  her.” 

He  remembered  his  little  son  whom  he  greatly  loved. 
He  spoke  of  him  most  affectionately,  and  said-  “ Give  my 
sword  to  my  dear  little  boy.” 

He  presented  his  spurs  to  a lady.  To  his  staff  officers 
he  gave  his  horses,  and  then  drawing  a fellow  officer  to 
him  — - a Prussian  who  had  volunteered  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war  — - he  said,  with  a great  show  of  affection, 

“ My  dear  Von,  I am  sinking  fast  now,  but,  before  I die 
I want  you  to  know  that  I never  loved  a man  as  much  as 
yourself.  I pray  that  your  life  may  be  long  and  happy. 
Look  after  my  family  when  I am  gone,  and  be  the  same, 
true  friend  to  my  wife  and  children  that  you  have  been  to 
me.” 

He  then  turned  to  a Minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
who  was  near-by,  and  asked  him  to  sing  a hymn,  beginning, 

“ Rock  of  ages,  cleft  for  me, 

Let  me  hide  my  face  in  thee.” 

In  the  chanting  of  this  well-known  psalm  he  joined  with 
all  the  strength  that  his  weakened  voice  would  allow.  He 
then  prayed  with  the  Minister  and  the  friends  around  him. 
“ I am  going  fast  now7,  I am  resigned  to  God,”  were  his 
last  words,  and  thus  the  soul  of  Stuart  — the  gay  and 
light-hearted  Cavalier  — departed  to  another  world. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  SHERIDAN’S  CAVALRY  AT  APPOMATTOX 


PHIL  SHERIDAN:  THE  DAREDEVIL 


ABOUT  the  year  1837,  some  ragged,  little  boys  were 
playing  on  the  streets  of  a small  town  in  Ohio,  and 
among  them  was  a sturdy  and  grimy  youngster, 
called  Phil,  whom  they  dared  to  clamber  up  upon  the 
back  of  a stray  horse  that  had  followed  his  master’s  cart 
into  town  with  only  a halter  upon  his  neck.  Nothing 
daunted  at  the  disparaging  remarks  of  his  companions,  the 
youngster  wormed  himself  up  upon  the  back  of  the  animal ; 
gave  him  a dig  with  his  heels;  and  clung  to  him  by  the 
mane  as  he  ran  headlong  down  the  central  street ; terrify- 
ing the  quiet  villagers  as  he  dashed  by,  and  knocking  down 
an  old  apple  man  in  his  flight.  Mile  after  mile  passed, 
as  the  half-wild  steed  sped  into  the  open  country,  en- 
deavouring to  unseat  his  tenacious  rider  at  every  bound,  — 
but  it  was  useless.  At  last  the  excited  horse  turned  sud- 
denly into  the  yard  of  a wayside  Tavern  and  the  amused 
and  interested  guests  seized  the  daredevil  rider  by  the  legs 
and  lifted  him  to  the  ground.  There  he  stood  in  the  midst 
of  the  admiring  crowd  with  a smile  of  both  amusement 
and  satisfaction  upon  his  face. 

" Who  on  earth  taught  you  to  ride  ? ” asked  a gentle- 
man who  had  seized  the  child  by  the  hand  and  had  started 
to  lead  him  to  the  Tavern. 

“ Nobody,”  answered  little  Philip.  “ I just  knowed 

313 


314  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


how  For  Willie  Seymour  said  that  the  way  ter  ride  was 
ter  hold  on  with  your  knees, — - and  I did  ” 

This  remark  was  greeted  with  chuckles  and  appreciative 
remarks  from  the  crowd  of  bystanders,  and  one  old  fellow 
called  out, 

“ I tell  yew,  now,  gentlemen,  that  ere  kid  will  be  heard 
from  some  day  He’s  ez  sandy  er  young  un  ez  I’ve  ever 
knowed.” 

And  what  he  said  was  the  truth,  for  the  courageous 
youngster  who  had  ridden  bare-back  upon  the  spirited 
horse  was  little  Phil  Sheridan,  who  was  one  day  to  be  the 
commander  of  all  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  who  was  to  be  known  as  the  hero  of  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  rides  in  history. 

We  have  seen  -that  the  noble  and  chivalric  Jeb  Stuart 
was  the  greatest  cavalry  leader  that  the  South  produced  in 
the  bloody  conflict  between  the  States,  and  that  the  Con- 
federate cavalry  never  recovered  from  the  shock  of  his 
untimely  death  His  opponent  at  the  fight  at  Yellow 
Tavern  was  General  Phil  Sheridan,  who  survived  the  war 
and  left  a record  for  dash  and  courage  that  was  quite  equal 
to  that  of  the  brave  leader  of  the  Southern  horse.  Further- 
more, he  had  the  good  fortune  to  continue  in  the  field  of 
active  service  for  a great  many  years  after  the  war  between 
the  States,  and  to  be  engaged  in  several  Indian  campaigns 
which  added  fame  and  lustre  to  his  distinguished  name. 
Sheridan  is  the  greatest  cavalryman  that  the  country  has 
known,  and  for  intrepid  courage,  zeal,  and  combativeness, 
has  seldom  had  an  equal  in  the  warfare  between  civilized 
people 

His  parents  were  Irish,  and  came  from  the  County  of 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


315 


Cavan,  from  which  they  emigrated  to  America  and  settled 
at  Albany,  New  York.  Here  Philip  Henry  Sheridan  — - 
their  second  son  — was  born  on  March  6th,  1830;  and 
here  he  remained  for  a few  years,  until  the  family  moved 
to  Somerset,  Ohio,  which  was  a frontier  village,  in  the 
“ fresh,  untouched,  unbounded,  magnificent  wilderness,” 
as  Daniel  Webster  has  so  aptly  named  it.  John  Sheridan 
(the  father  of  the  great  cavalryman)  was  a hardy  and  in- 
dustrious man  who  built  his  own  house,  chopping  down  the 
trees  of  the  forest  wfith  his  able  hands,  and  plastering  his 
cabin  with  mud  from  the  fields  in  order  to  keep  out  the 
wintry  blasts.  Mrs.  Sheridan  was  a woman  of  good  sense 
and  much  practical  knowledge,  so  that  her  family  of  five 
youngsters  — four  of  whom  were  boys  — - learned  much 
that  was  worthy  and  useful  from  her.  Young  Phil  was 
not  very  different  from  other  boys  save  that  he  was  perhaps 
more  full  of  fun  and  vitality  than  his  companions  and  had 
a passionate  love  for  horses.  He  was  black-haired;  red- 
cheeked; sturdy  and  pugnacious. 

Just  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  learn  his  letters 
he  was  sent  to  the  village  school  — kept  by  an  old  school- 
master called  McNanly,  who  was  of  a pepperish  temper 
and  none  too  easy  on  his  pupils.  This  crusty,  old  fellow 
had  one  boy  of  whom  he  was  particularly  fond,  whose  name 
was  Home,  and  with  him  young  Phil  had  a royal  fist-fight, 
one  day.  So  furious  was  the  affray  that  little  Home  ran 
into  the  school-room  with  a bloody  nose,  while  the  irate 
school-master  seized  his  switch,  — determined  to  admin- 
ister a sound  drubbing  to  the  future  leader  of  cavalry,  who 
had  given  the  blows  which  had  caused  the  flow  of  so  much 
blood.  But  young  Phil  had  expected  such  an  attack,  and 


316  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


was  waiting  on  a fence  to  see  what  the  school-master  was 
going  to  do.  So  when  Mr.  McNanly  emerged  from  his 
door  — cane  in  hand  — it  was  easy  for  him  to  drop  over 
on  the  other  side  of  the  fence  and  make  off  as  fast  as  his 
young  legs  would  carry  him. 

The  Tinsmith  in  the  village  was  busy  in  making  a large 
boiler  — lying  mouth  down  upon  the  floor  — when  he 
was  startled  by  seeing  young  Phil  running  into  his  shop. 
He  dropped  his  hammer  with  a bang,  and,  as  he  did  so, 
Sheridan  crept  beneath  the  boiler  and  hid  himself  securely 
from  all  eyes.  It  was  none  too  soon,  for  just  then  the 
school-master  rushed  furiously  into  the  shop  and  asked 
where  the  boy  had  gone  to. 

“ Ain’t  seen  him,”  replied  the  Tinsmith,  to  his  questions. 

And  so  the  school-master  departed,  while  little  Phil  hid 
beneath  the  protecting  boiler  for  an  hour  before  he  dared 
to  venture  back  to  the  school-room.  When  he  did  so,  Air. 
McNanly  pretended  not  to  notice  him,  and  so  he  escaped 
entirely  from  the  whipping  which  had  been  surely  due 
him  for  his  fight  with  little  Home.  “ This,”  said  General 
Sheridan,  years  afterwards,  “ was  worse  than  being  under 
fire  at  Winchester  and  Cedar  Creek.  I never  suffered  so 
much  physical  anguish  in  my  life  as  when  lying  under  that 
boiler,  expecting  every  moment  that  Air.  McNanly  would 
lift  it  up  and  find  me  beneath.” 

After  a year’s  schooling,  Sheridan’s  father  thought  that 
he  had  had  sufficient  education  and-  so  secured  him  a 
clerkship  in  a dry  goods  store ; but  this  life  was  distasteful 
to  the  future  cavalryman,  for  it  was  too  dry,  exacting,  and 
unexciting.  He  longed  to  have  a change,  and  when  an 
opportunity  was  offered  him  of  entering  West  Point, 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


317 


eagerly  grasped  the  chance  to  secure  an  appointment; 
for  his  ambition  was  fired  with  the  thought  of  becoming 
a real  soldier ; and  night  after  night  — with  the  light  of  a 
tallow  candle  — - he  sat  up  in  the  back  of  the  store  and 
poured  over  books  of  history,  geography,  and  arithmetic. 
His  efforts  to  gain  knowledge  were  crowned  with  such 
success,  that  in  1849  he  passed  a splendid  examination 
for  West  Point  and  was  immediately  admitted. 

His  record  at  the  Academy  was  not  an  especially  bril- 
liant one,  for,  not  only  was  he  suspended  for  a year  because 
of  a fight  with  another  cadet  — his  superior  ■ — but  he 
was  graduated  with  no  particular  honours.  Of  the  class 
of  fifty-two  members  who  left  West  Point,  he  was  thirty- 
fifth  in  point  of  excellence,  although  recognized  to  be  the 
foremost  horseman  in  the  entire  body  of  cadets.  Sent 
immediately  to  Texas  — with  the  brevet  appointment 
of  Second  Lieutenant,  — - he  saw  a summer  of  active  service 
in  scouting;  mapping  the  country;  and  in  protecting 
the  roads  and  different  frontier  outposts  from  the  attacks 
of  Indians,  who  were  not  only  numerous,  but  bloodthirsty. 
The  hardships  of  his  life  were  very  great  and  the  winter 
was  spent  in  comparative  misery ; with  no  fresh  vegetables 
to  ward  off  the  scurvy,  and  with  nothing  but  a hut  of 
poles  and  half-rotten  canvas,  to  keep  off  the  wind  and 
rain.  But  Sheridan  enjoyed  it  all  and  never  once  com- 
plained of  hardship  and  danger,  — for  he  was  by  nature 
a lover  of  everything  that  was  rough  and  which  required 
a vigorous  nature  to  withstand.  “ A man’s  life  is  a life 
in  the  open,”  he  often  remarked.  “ There  is  too  much 
civilization  for  the  average  individual ; it  makes  him  love 
comfort  more  than  a house-cat.” 


318  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


In  1855  the  budding  General  was  transferred  to  the 
Fourth  Infantry,  and,  after  a brief  stay  at  Fort  Wood, 
in  New  York  Harbour,  he  was  sent  to  San  Francisco  by 
way  of  Panama,  with  a detachment  of  half-disciplined 
recruits.  But  he  was  not  to  remain  long  at  the  Golden 
Gate,  for  the  Yakima  Indians  were  on  the  warpath  in 
Washington  Territory,  so  he  was  hurried  to  the  scene  of 
action  and  placed  in  command  of  a detachment  of  mounted 
infantry,  called  dragoons,  who  were  half-drilled,  but 
eager  and  willing  for  an  active  campaign.  It  is  said  that 
Sheridan  was  thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  laziness  of 
some  of  his  men  and  one  day  determined  to  shame  them. 
So,  in  the  morning,  at  roll-call,  he  tried  to  do  so. 

“ I have  a nice,  easy  job,”  he  said,  “ for  the  laziest 
man  in  the  company.  Will  the  laziest  man  step  to  the 
front?” 

Instantly  fifty-nine  men  stepped  forward. 

“ Why  don’t  you  step  to  the  front,  too  ? ” he  demanded 
of  the  sixtieth. 

“ I’m  too  lazy,”  replied  the  soldier;  and  the  laugh  was 
decidedly  upon  the  doughty  Lieutenant. 

The  first  battle  that  amounted  to  anything  was  at  the 
falls,  or  cascades,  of  the  Columbia  River,  where  the  Indians 
had  a fortification  upon  an  island,  from  which  they  fre- 
quently made  raids  upon  the  white  settlers.  Sheridan 
determined  to  capture  this  island,  and  with  this  end  in 
view,  loaded  down  an  old  boat  with  his  command,  and 
floated  down  the  stream  until  his  men  were  able  to  clamber 
out  upon  the  shore  of  the  ground  which  was  held  by  the 
savages.  A battle  was,  at  once,  begun,  and  soon  the  affair 
assumed  a serious  aspect  for  the  United  States  troops ; as 


PHIL  SPIERIDAN 


319 


the  Indians  far  outnumbered  them.  The  Bluecoats  began 
to  stampede  to  the  boat,  but  Sheridan  cheered  them  on  to 
a determined  resistance  of  the  overwhelming  attack,  and 
so  conducted  the  retreat,  that  his  men  escaped  from  the 
island  with  the  loss  of  but  one  of  their  number.  The 
youthful  Lieutenant  was  highly  complimented  by  his 
superior  officers  for  his  conduct  in  this  affair,  and  several 
of  them  predicted  that  he  would,  some  day,  be  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  Colonel.  Little  did  they  think  that  this 
immature  Lieutenant  would  become  the  best  known  Gen- 
eral of  the  country,  and  would  so  surpass  them  in  ability 
and  reputation  that  they  would  be  some  day  proud  to  have 
been  associated  with  him  in  this  small  and  insignificant 
action. 

In  spite  of  this  excellent  fighting  which  young  Sheridan 
had  done,  he  was  still  a Lieutenant  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  was  at  an  army  post  in  the  far  North-West 
when  he  was  made  profoundly  joyous  by  receiving  a com- 
mission to  a Captaincy  in  the  Thirteenth  Cavalry,  with 
orders  to  report,  at  once,  in  St.  Louis,  for  an  assignment 
to  duty.  With  a light  heart  and  a beaming  countenance 
he  hastened  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  only  to  be  chagrined 
by  receiving  an  appointment  as  a Chief  Quarter-master 
and  not  as  an  officer  in  active  service  at  the  front.  As 
his  duties  were  to  care  for  the  tents,  baggage,  and  supplies, 
nothing  could  have  been  less  pleasing  to  a man  of  his 
danger-loving  temperament;  yet  he  attended  to  his  task 
with  speed  and  cheerfulness;  so  that  his  superior  officer 
was  much  pleased  by  his  conduct,  and  commended  him  for 
promotion  to  a position  of  responsibility  in  the  field.  But 
this  was  hard  to  get,  as  the  Governors  of  the  separate 


320  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


States  appointed  the  officers  to  command  the  volunteer 
regiments,  and  always  — as  was  natural  — advanced 
those  who  were  either  well  known  to  them,  or  to  -whom  they 
were  under  obligations.  Sheridan  unfortunately  had  no 
friends  in  political  office,  and  so,  as  a Quarter-Master  he 
remained  during  the  entire  first  year  of  the  Civil  War. 
But,  at  last,  the  longed-for  opening  came,  and  through 
the  intercession  of  some  friends  he  was  electrified,  one  day, 
to  receive  the  following  telegram. 

“ Pittsburg  Landing,  May  25,  1862. 

“ Captain  Philip  H.  Sheridan  is  hereby  appointed  Colo- 
nel of  the  Second  Michigan  Cavalry.  He  is  directed  to 
take  command  at  once. 

“Austin  Blair, 
Governor  oj  Michigan 

The  great  cavalryman  was  at  General  Halleck’s  head- 
quarters when  this  missive  was  handed  him,  and  as  the 
news  of  his  promotion  leaked  out,  all  the  officers  came  up 
and  offered  their  congratulations.  One  of  them  suggested 
a complimentary  toast,  and  said,  as  he  raised  a glass  of 
wine, 

“ Here’s  hoping  that  your  appointment  is  a step  towards 
the  star  of  Brigadier-General,  Captain  Phil.” 

Sheridan  blushed  bright  red  before  he  replied. 

“ No,  Gentlemen,”  he  answered.  “ I thank  you  for  your 
good  wishes,  but  I want  no  higher  honour  than  this.  I 
am  now  a Colonel-of- Cavalry  and  I have  all  that  I 
expect.” 

But  it  -was  not  as  far  up,  upon  the  rungs  of  the  ladder 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


321 


of  fame,  as  he  was  to  go,  for  by  the  zeal  and  vim  which  he 
put  into  his  new  command,  the  soldiers  easily  perceived 
that  they  were  in  the  hands  of  a genius,  and  predicted  that 
he  would,  some  day,  be  in  the  highest  rank  obtainable. 
The  rough  fellows  nicknamed  their  fiery  officer,  “ Little 
Phil,”  and,  when  anything  went  amiss,  were  accustomed 
to  say,  “ Never  mind,  Little  Phil  will  be  along  soon,  and 
he’ll  fix  it  up  so  that  everything  will  go  our  way.”  For 
like  all  great  cavalrymen,  Sheridan  always  took  every  pre- 
caution against  surprise  and  possible  defeat.  He  would 
study  a country  in  which  he  campaigned,  like  a book, 
and  would  soon  know  the  exact  location  of  every  stream, 
bridge,  grove,  hill,  valley,  and  house,  within  twenty  miles  of 
the  position  of  his  command.  And  he  was  indefatigable  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties ; did  not  seem  to  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  fear;  and  exposed  himself  with  so  much 
recklessness  when  in  battle,  that  it  is  a wonder  that  he 
ever  came  through  the  Civil  War,  alive.  “ I reckon  dat 
ere  feller,  mus  carry  er  rabbit  foot,  fer  good  luck,”  said 
one  old  Darkey  who  had  seen  the  boyish-looking  Captain 
in  one  of  his  skirmishes  with  the  enemy.  “ He’s  got  de 
luck  of  Debbil  wid  him,  an  dat  only  comes  when  you 
carry  er  rabbit’s  foot  in  yer  left  han’  pocket.  He’s  de 
mos’  keerless  pusson  in  de  middle  uv  bullets  I ever  seen.” 
After  the  battle  of  Shiloh  — in  which  the  Union  Army 
barely  defeated  the  Confederates  — Sheridan  had  several 
successful  skirmishes  with  the  enemy’s  forces,  in  which  he 
showed  so  much  ability  that  he  quickly  made  a reputation 
as  a daring  and  courageous  cavalry  leader.  So  when 
General  Buell  was  fighting  General  Bragg’s  army  in  Ken- 
tucky, Sheridan  was  ordered  to  take  command  of  a division 


322  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


of  the  Union  force  and  to  assist  Buell  in  defeating  one  of 
the  most  able  of  the  Confederate  Commanders.  In  the 
battle  of  Perryville  — which  was  an  undecided  contest  — 
he  played  a conspicuous  part;  but  it  was  not  until  the 
famous  struggle  at  Lookout  Mountain,  sometime  later, 
that  he  had  an  opportunity  of  showing  his  true  mettle 
and  of  making  a gallant  charge  that  won  the  day  for  the 
Union  side.  So  greatly  did  this  abound  to  his  credit,  that 
he  was  soon  the  most  talked-of  cavalryman  in  the  North, 
and  the  most  popular. 

General  Rosecrans  succeeded  General  Buell  and  was 
placed  in  command  of  what  was  known  as  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  which  was  opposed  to  the  Confederate 
forces  under  Braxton  Bragg  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee, 
and  the  now  well-known  Sheridan  was  given  charge  of  a 
division  of  the  right  wing.  Not  long  after  assuming  this 
command,  the  two  armies  met  in  a three  days’  contest 
at  Stone  River,  in  which  nearly  half  of  Sheridan’s  entire 
force  was  killed  and  wounded  in  the  fearful  slaughter  upon 
that  bloody  field  of  battle. 

After  the  first  day  of  furious  fighting  General  Bragg 
determined  to  attack  the  Union  force,  early  in  the  morning, 
and  to  concentrate  his  efforts  upon  the  right  flank  of  his 
opponents.  The  Confederate  leader  hoped  to  gain  a vic- 
tory; to  capture  the  city  of  Nashville;  and  to  drive  the 
opposing  forces  eastward,  so  that  he  could  advance  far 
into  the  enemy’s  country.  He  therefore  gave  the  order 
for  a general  movement  of  his  right  wing  at  an  early  hour 
in  the  morning,  — and  at  a time  when  the  Union  troops 
would  be  ill  prepared  to  meet  the  assault. 

But  Sheridan — with  the  true  instinct  of  a born  fighter  — 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


323 


suspected  the  designs  of  his  enemy ; and  so  spent  the  entire 
night  in  examining  his  opponents’  position ; in  placing 
his  troops  in  the  most  advantageous  hillocks  for  repelling 
an  assault ; and  in  watching  the  moving  forms  of  the  enemy 
in  the  half-light  of  a clouded  moon.  About  two  o’clock 
in  the  morning  he  became  convinced  that  a large  and 
powerful  force  was  massed  against  his  right  flank,  and  so 
he  hastily  went  to  General  McCook,  who  was  in  command 
of  the  threatened  portion  of  the  Union  line,  and  told  him 
to  make  every  arrangement  for  repelling  a furious  attack. 
But  strange  as  it  may  seem,  that  officer  did  not  seem  to 
regard  the  matter  with  much  concern,  and,  after  a long 
harangue  with  the  young  Captain,  told  him  that  it  was  not 
his  intention  to  change  the  disposition  of  his  forces  in 
order  to  meet  what  he  thought  would  be  only  a slight  and 
ineffective  advance. 

He  much  regretted  his  error  in  not  taking  Sheridan’s 
advice,  a few  hours  later,  for,  shortly  before  daylight,  four 
divisions  of  Confederate  infantry  made  a terrific  attack 
upon  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  line,  which  was  only 
half  prepared  to  meet  the  advance  of  the  enemy.  In  con- 
sequence it  was  doubled  back  upon  the  rest  of  the  army, 
and,  had  it  not  been  for  Captain  Sheridan’s  quick  and  de- 
cisive action  in  turning  the  fire  of  three  batteries  upon 
the  exultant  Confederates,  it  would  have  gone  badly  with 
the  Union  troops.  As  it  was,  this  concentrated  fire  drove 
the  advancing  enemy  back  in  confusion,  and  saved  the 
right  wing  of  Rosecran’s  forces  from  a crushing  blow. 
Two  assaults  followed  this  first  advance,  but  both  were  so 
successfully  repulsed  that  Bragg  became  convinced  of  the 
uselessness  in  attempting  to  break  his  opponents’  line, 


324  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


and  so  withdrew  his  worn-out  men.  Sheridan  had  con- 
ducted himself  with  the  greatest  bravery  and  resolution; 
had  exposed  himself  continually;  and  had  been  every- 
where at  once.  In  this  long  and  desperate  struggle  one- 
third  of  his  command  had  been  either  killed  or  wounded, 
and  the  greater  part  of  his  artillery  horses  had  been  either 
shot  or  disabled.  Five  vigorous  and  determined  assaults 
had  been  repulsed,  and  when  the  campaign  closed  on  the 
second  of  January,  1863,  the  force  under  his  command 
had  been  so  weakened  by  its  terrible  losses,  that  it  could 
not  have  stood  another  like  engagement  without  total 
annihilation. 

The  troops  were,  at  this  time,  in  a limestone  region, 
where  the  dust  upon  the  roads  was  like  whitish  powder. 
This  blew  around  them  in  whirling  clouds  whenever  there 
was  dry  weather,  and  covered  their  uniforms  with  a thick 
coating  of  grayish  material.  Sheridan  sent  a vidette  out 
to  reconnoitre,  one  day,  but  the  fellow  trespassed  too  far 
within  the  enemy’s  lines  for  safety,  and  suddenly  dis- 
covered that  he  had  ridden  into  some  Confederate  pickets, 
who  little  suspected  that  he  was  a Union  soldier,  because 
of  the  gray  look  to  his  cap  and  uniform. 

“ Whar  you  bound,  Cavalryman?”  asked  the  Con- 
federate sentry.  “ And  who  be  ye  ? ” 

“ I’m  one  of  Forrest’s  boys,”  answered  Sheridan’s 
trooper,  “an’  the  countersign  is,  ‘ Death  to  Uncle  Abe  and 
the  Union.’  ” 

At  this  the  Confederate  sentries  burst  out  laughing. 

“ ’Taint  right,”  said  one,  “ but  I reckon  you  kin  pass.” 

And  he  moved  aside  as  the  cavalryman  rode  by.  But 
unfortunately  for  Sheridan’s  man  the  gray  upon  the  front 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


325 


of  his  uniform  was  not  equally  well  distributed  over  his 
back,  and,  as  he  galloped  joyfully  away,  the  long,  Con- 
federate yell  which  rang  out  upon  the  clear  air,  warned  him 
that  the  sentries  had  discovered  his  true  identity.  Imme- 
diately shots  rang  out  and  bullets  whizzed  so  dangerously 
near  him  that  one  punctured  the  crown  of  his  hat.  When 
he  arrived  in  camp  and  told  his  story,  General  Sheridan 
would  not  believe  it,  until  he  saw  the  hole  in  the  hat  crown, 
and  then  he  roared  with  laughter  at  the  thought  of  the 
chagrin  and  mortification  of  the  two  Johnny  Rebs.  It 
was  the  best  joke  upon  the  enemy  that  one  of  his  own  men 
ever  perpetrated. 

General  Sheridan  advanced  with  the  Union  army  under 
Rosecrans  to  the  vicinity  of  Chattanooga  in  Tennessee, 
in  the  autumn  of  1863,  and  was  in  a bloody,  three  days’ 
battle  with  the  Confederates  at  Chickamauga.  In  this 
the  Union  army  was  not  successful,  and  so  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland,  as  it  was  called,  retreated  to  Chatta- 
nooga at  the  foot  of  Lookout  Mountain,  to  a most  un- 
favourable position  where  it  was  hemmed  in  on  three  sides 
by  the  now  exultant  Confederates.  As  all  ways  of  getting 
supplies  were  cut  off  save  one,  and  that  a difficult  path 
through  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  it  was  not  infrequent 
to  see  the  supplies  for  the  Union  army  captured  by  the 
Confederate  cavalrymen.  So  scarce,  indeed,  did  rations 
become,  that  Sheridan  was  forced  to  forage  upon  the 
country,  and  he,  himself,  often  joined  the  expeditions  of  his 
men,  sent  out  after  chickens,  geese,  turkeys,  and  ducks. 
As  he  had  peculiarly  long  arms  which  hung  to  his  knees, 
it  was  easy  for  him  to  reach  considerably  lower  than  the 
average  man ; and  one  day,  as  he  was  riding  along  the  road. 


326  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


it  is  said  that  he  leaned  over  his  horse  — with  a swift 
clutch  — and  seized  the  neck  of  an  unsuspecting  goose 
that  was  unwary  enough  to  venture  near  his  mount.  For 
this  reason  he  was  often  called  “ the  Great  Goose  Catcher  ” 
by  those  who  knew  of  this  adventure. 

The  Confederate  position  on  Lookout  Mountain  and 
Missionary  Ridge  was  such  a favourable  one  that  they 
could  easily  throw  shells  into  the  Union  camp.  This  they 
did  with  considerable  accuracy,  but  it  did  not  do  much 
damage  and  few  men  were  killed  by  the  explosion  of  the 
missiles.  Finally  the  Union  troops  were  ready  for  an 
advance  and  determined  to  rout  out  their  courageous 
enemy  who  were  causing  so  much  annoyance  and  the  loss 
of  so  much  rest.  General  Rosecrans  had  been  removed 
from  the  command  of  the  Union  force  and  General  U.  S. 
Grant  was  in  the  position  of  director  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  when  the  fight  for  the  control  of  Missionary 
Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain  commenced,  and  it  was  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  and  dramatic  battles  of  history. 

Missionary  Ridge  — a high,  precipitous  chain  of  moun- 
tains, was  protected  by  three  lines  of  defences.  First, 
earthworks  were  thrown  up  near  the  base,  which  were 
defended  by  courageous  and  hardy  troops.  Then,  half 
way  up  the  side  of  the  ridge,  rifle-pits  had  been  dug  in 
broken  lines,  so  that,  if  driven  from  the  lower  grounds, 
the  retreating  Confederates  could  find  protection  here. 
And  finally,  on  the  very  summit  of  the  ridge,  itself,  was 
a line  of  cannon  which  swept  the  entire  field  of  approaches. 
A reserve  of  infantry  was  stationed  near-by  which  could 
be  moved  to  any  portion  of  the  line  that  seemed  to  need 
added  strength.  Truly  this  was  an  almost  impossible  line 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


327 


of  entrenchments  to  carry,  for  it  is  well  known  that  one 
man  behind  an  earthwork  is  worth  three  in  the  open ; yet 
in  spite  of  this  fact,  General  Sheridan  was  ordered  to 
attack,  and  capture  the  lower  line  of  earthworks.  To  him 
it  was  not  an  impossible  task,  for  he  did  not  know  the 
meaning  of  insurmountable  obstacles,  and  he  gladly 
made  his  preparations  for  the  assault.  But  with  the  fore- 
sight of  a leader  of  acute  reasoning  power,  he  asked  per- 
mission from  his  superior  officer  to  be  allowed  to  carry  the 
ridge  itself,  “ for,”  he  said,  “ if  my  men  get  into  the  lower 
breastworks,  there  will  be  no  stopping  them.  They  will 
want  to  go  clear  up  to  the  summit.”  “ Take  only  the  lower 
line  of  entrenchments,”  was  the  order  that  was  sent  back; 
and  so  he  rode  out  in  front  of  his  men,  as  they  made  ready 
for  the  fray,  and  said,  “ Boys,  you  see  those  earthworks 
in  front.  Take  them.  That’s  all.” 

When  the  word  for  advance  was  given,  the  soldiers  under 
his  immediate  direction  rushed  upon  the  formidable  en- 
trenchments with  so  much  fury  that  their  attack  was 
irresistible.  They  were  shot  down  by  regiments,  but  they 
kept  on  moving,  and  soon  were  over  the  very  earthworks 
themselves  and  were  clubbing  with  the  butts  of  their 
muskets,  all  who  did  not  flee  to  the  protection  of  the  second 
line  of  rifle-pits,  half  way  up  the  mountain. 

“ Let  me  go  on,”  said  General  Sheridan,  to  General 
Granger.  “ I can  now  carry  the  second  line  of  redoubts. 
Let  me  go  on  ! ” 

“ Your  orders  are  to  remain  where  you  are,”  replied 
Granger.  “ Do  not  advance  to  the  attack.” 

But  Sheridan  disobeyed  his  orders.  “ Forward,  men,” 
he  shouted.  “You  see  the  top  of  Missionary  Ridge.  Let’s 
see  our  battle-flags  on  the  summit ! ” 


328  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


And  with  a cheer  and  yell  of  defiance  the  Union  troops 
charged  upon  the  second  line  of  rifle-pits.  The  men 
dodged  behind  trees  and  fallen  boulders;  took  aim  and 
fired  like  Indians  in  Braddock’s  campaign,  and  crept  on, 
on,  until  the  fire  of  the  disheartened  Confederates  was 
in  their  very  faces.  Suddenly  one  battle-flag  was  advanced 
to  the  line  of  earthworks  itself  and  fluttered  from  the  top 
of  a yellow  mound.  With  a yell  the  soldiers  rushed  after 
it  and  hurled  themselves  like  a tempest,  across  the  jagged 
lines  of  trenches.  There  was  no  stopping  their  furious 
assault.  They  enveloped  the  breaking  Confederate  line 
like  an  irresistible  tidal  wave,  and  although  now  in  the 
range  of  the  guns  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  and  torn 
with  the  discharge  of  grape  and  canister,  they  still  climbed 
upward  to  the  beckoning  Confederate  ensigns  on  the  top 
of  Missionary  Ridge.  At  last  the  first  man  in  blue  leaped 
from  behind  a fallen  oak-stump  and  discharged  his  musket 
into  the  faces  of  the  defenders  of  the  once  unapproachable 
position.  Another  and  another  followed;  until  the  whole 
crest  — for  a mile  — was  blue  with  the  coats  of  Sheridan’s 
victorious  men,  while  the  gray  jackets  of  the  Confederates 
were  hurrying  confusedly  into  the  depression  on  the  other 
side.  One  of  the  most  glorious  infantry  charges  in  history 
was  over ; and  the  broken  and  dispirited  army  fled  before 
the  exultant  soldiers  of  the  Union  cause. 

When  General  Grant  saw  Sheridan’s  men  as  they 
clambered  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  he  was  struck 
dumb  with  amazement.  Finally  he  turned  to  General 
Thomas  and  said, 

“ General,  by  whose  orders  are  those  troops  going  up 
the  hill?” 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


329 


“ By  no  one’s  orders,”  Thomas  answered.  “ They’re 
going  forward  on  their  own  account.” 

General  Grant  scowled. 

“ Well,  it’s  all  right,  if  it  turns  out  all  right,”  he  said. 
“ But  if  it  doesn’t  some  one  is  going  to  suffer  and  going 
to  suffer  bad.” 

It  was  thus  fortunate  for  Sheridan  that  he  had  success, 
or  he  might  have  been  cashiered  and  dismissed  the  service, 
in  disgrace. 

Even  when  the  crest  of  the  ridge  was  taken  and  the 
broken  troops  had  been  reformed,  the  impetuous  Sheridan 
did  not  rest  on  the  laurels  already  won.  Instead  of  this, 
he  pushed  on,  without  orders,  and  pursued  the  retreating 
Confederates  on  a road  which  led  to  Chickamauga  Station, 
directly  in  the  rear  of  the  remaining  forces  of  the  Rebel 
army.  Stirred  with  the  spirit  of  their  leader,  the  soldiers 
pressed  exultantly  forward,  and  soon  came  up  with  the 
boys  in  gray,  well  posted  on  another  ridge,  and  determined 
to  stem  the  overwhelming  advance.  But  it  was  useless. 
Two  flanking  parties  were  ordered  to  the  right  and  to  the 
left  of  the  Confederate  line,  and  when  a general  assault 
was  begun,  the  enemy  again  fled  in  confusion. 

Now  Sheridan  found  himself  two  miles  in  advance  of  his 
compatriots  on  Missionary  Ridge,  and  saw  that  his  were 
the  only  troops  which  followed  the  beaten  forces  of  the 
enemy.  So  he  galloped  hastily  back  to  a deserted  house, 
where  the  commander  of  his  corps  had  made  his  head- 
quarters, and  requested  that  he  be  allowed  other  divisions 
of  infantry  to  press  home  his  advance.  But  his  request 
was  met  with  a different  reception  than  he  had  expected 
and  he  was,  at  first,  refused  any  assistance.  Only  after 


330  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


much  pleading  upon  his  part  could  he  succeed  in  gaining 
permission  to  move  his  division  to  the  crossing  of  Chicka- 
mauga  Creek ; and  he  was  told  that,  if  the  enemy  should 
be  met,  troops  would  be  immediately  ordered  up  to  the 
support  of  his  own  men. 

Sheridan  was,  of  course,  much  dissatisfied  with  this 
delay,  but  he  still  hoped  to  get  to  the  rear  of  the  Confeder- 
ates and  to  turn  the  victory  into  a complete  rout ; so,  gallop- 
ing back  to  his  own  camp,  he  reached  there  at  midnight, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  weary  condition  of  his  troops,  urged 
them  to  press  onward  at  two  o’clock  in  the  morning.  This 
the  soldiers  did  with  a cheerfulness  that  was  surprising, 
but  it  was  now  too  late  to  effect  the  capture  of  a portion 
of  the  retreating  enemy.  They  had  effectually  made 
their  escape  and  the  decisive  victory  had  been  turned  to 
naught,  by  the  delay  of  those  in  higher  command  than 
Sheridan,  himself. 

The  failure  to  reap  the  full  fruits  of  victory  was,  of 
course,  a great  disappointment  to  the  fiery,  Little  Phil, 
and  he  had  hard  words  to  say  of  those  who  had  failed  to 
assist  him  in  the  hour  of  most  need.  When  his  superior 
officers,  next  day,  saw  that  his  plans  had  been  correctly 
made  and  that  if  they  had  sent  him  the  desired  supports 
the  left  wing  of  the  Confederate  army  would  have  been 
captured,  or  destroyed;  they,  too,  were  equally  chagrined. 
Sheridan  was  the  hero  of  the  hour;  his  name  filled  the 
pages  of  the  Northern  press ; his  fame  was  upon  every  lip ; 
and  the  soldiers  cheered  him  whenever  he  passed  by  upon 
his  charger.  He  had  commenced  to  make  that  reputation 
which  was  soon  to  mark  him  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of 
all  the  Union  Commanders. 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


331 


The  trials  and  exposures  of  the  campaign  had  com- 
menced to  tell  greatly  upon  his  rugged  constitution ; he 
had  begun  to  break  down  from  constant  activity,  and  so, 
when  his  troops  had  been  comfortably  settled  in  winter 
quarters,  he  applied  for  a short  leave  of  absence,  and  was 
soon  at  his  home  in  Ohio.  Here  rest  and  relief  from  cease- 
less anxiety  soon  restored  him  to  his  usual  health.  In 
March,  he  returned  to  the  army,  but  he  was  not  to  remain 
longer  with  the  Western  forces  of  the  Government.  A 
telegram  from  General  Grant  directed  him  to  proceed 
at  once  to  Washington  and  to  report  to  the  Adjutant-  General 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  confronting  General  Lee 
near  Culpepper,  Virginia. 

At  this  time  he  was  thirty-three  years  of  age,  square- 
shouldered, muscular,  wiry  to  the  last  degree,  and  as  nearly 
insensible  to  hardship  and  fatigue  as  it  was  possible  to  be. 
His  face  was  much  tanned  by  exposure,  but  it  was  lighted 
up  by  uncommonly,  keen  eyes,  which  showed  him  to 
be  a man  of  force.  His  firm  chin,  high  cheek-bones,  and 
crisp  moustache,  gave  him  a military  look  and  stamped 
him  as  a thorough  soldier.  He  had  a strangely  shaped 
head,  with  a large  bump  — probably  of  combativeness  — 
behind  the  ears,  which  inconvenienced  him  apparently  as 
much  as  it  did  his  enemies  in  the  field,  — for  he  never 
possessed  a hat  that  would  stay  upon  his  head.  This  led 
him  to  take  his  hat  continually  in  his  hand,  as  if  to  cheer 
on  the  troops;  an  occupation  that  he  was  frequently 
engaged  in.  He  was  exacting  on  duty;  hard  on  de- 
linquents ; and  he  never,  under  any  circumstances,  issued 
orders  of  encouragement  or  congratulation  to  his  troops 
before  or  after  a battle,  as  he  expected  each  man  to  thor- 


332  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


oughly  do  his  duty.  And  to  this  soldierly  view  his  troops 
always  seemed  to  respond.  He  was  self-reliant ; shunned 
notoriety;  and  was  abashed  before  the  popular  applause. 
He  was  reserved ; hospitable ; and  remarkably  low-voiced, 
particularly  in  the  midst  of  battle,  where  every-one  else 
would  be  screaming  and  shouting.  In  the  field,  — even 
in  the  hottest  weather  — he  wore  the  uniform  of  his  grade, 
in  spite  of  its  heaviness;  and  this  consisted  of  a double- 
breasted  frock  coat ; pantaloons  inside  his  boots,  strapped 
down,  and  touching  at  the  heels  two,  small,  brass  spurs; 
one  of  which,  broken  short  off  at  the  heel,  did  duty  for 
many  months.  He  avoided  the  army  hat  for  officers,  and 
a cap  of  soft  material  was  usually  stuck  jauntily  upon  one 
side  of  his  head,  as  long  as  it  would  remain  in  position. 

Such  was  the  man  whom  President  Lincoln  and  his 
War  Secretary  saw  when  he  arrived  in  Washington,  and, 
as  he  was  much  emaciated  from  illness,  so  that  he  weighed 
but  one  hundred  and  fifteen  pounds,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
they  gazed  upon  the  celebrated  cavalryman  with  interest 
and  some  amusement.  The  President  smiled,  when  his 
eyes  rested  upon  the  cheerful  but  determined  face  of  his 
little  General,  and  he  invited  him  to  the  White  House, 
where  he  interviewed  him  for  many  hours  and  asked  no 
end  of  questions  regarding  his  opinions  on  the  conduct 
of  the  war.  “ Good-bye,  and  God  bless  you,”  was  his 
parting  remark  to  the  illustrious  cavalryman,  as  he  left 
him  for  his  duties  at  the  front.  “ May  we  soon  hear  good 
news  from  your  horsemen,  in  Virginia.” 

And  good  news  soon  came,  for  Sheridan  had  shortly 
massed  his  cavalry  and  made  a raid  into  the  enemy’s 
country  that  equalled  the  daring  exploits  of  the  chivalric 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


333 


Jeb  Stuart.  General  Grant  had  taken  command  of  the 
army  confronting  Lee,  and  his  plan  was  to  attack  the 
Confederate  forces  in  the  wilderness  and  to  keep  hammer- 
ing away  at  them,  as  he  crept  steadily  on  towards  Rich- 
mond by  a flank  movement.  Sheridan  heard  of  the  plan 
and  approved  it. 

“ But  let  me  go  out  and  whip  Jeb  Stuart,”  he  said.  “ I 
can  easily  do  it  and  it  would  so  dishearten  the  Confederate 
troops  that  you  will  find  them  more  easy  to  push  towards 
Richmond.” 

General  Meade  was  near-by,  and  when  he  heard  the 
request,  he  objected. 

“ We  need  your  horsemen  to  protect  our  flanks,”  he 
said.  “ And  we  cannot  afford  to  run  the  risk  of  losing 
you.” 

“ I won’t  be  lost,”  replied  Sheridan.  “ On  the  contrary 
you  will  hear  from  me  very  soon  after  I leave  your  front.” 

Grant  had  listened  to  this  argument  with  interest. 

“ If  you  think  you  can  whip  Stuart,”  he  said,  with 
bluntness,  “ you  can  go  out  and  do  so.”  And  Meade 
had  to  acquiesce  to  the  request  of  the  young  commander. 

So  Sheridan  made  ready  with  six  thousand  horse,  well 
equipped  and  well  supplied;  and  followed  by  a canvas, 
pontoon  train  for  bridging  the  rivers  which  they  had  to 
cross.  On  the  7th  of  June  the  cavalrymen  moved  away 
from  the  main  army  and  were  soon  on  the  road  to  Trevilian 
Station.  Here  they  met  Stuart’s  cavalry,  in  force,  and  a 
fierce  battle  ensued  which  resulted  in  no  particular  advan- 
tage for  either  side.  Sheridan’s  men  tore  up  the  railroad 
which  supplied  his  army,  and,  upon  the  day  following, 
made  another  assault  upon  the  Confederate  position. 


334  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Again  there  was  little  advantage  for  either  side  and  the 
Union  force  turned  towards  Richmond  with  the  gray 
uniforms  of  Stuart’s  men,  following  them  in  a parallel 
line.  There  was  constant  skirmishing  between  the  tw'o 
commands,  and  many  brave  fellow's  fell  from  their  horses, 
never  again  to  rouse  themselves  to  the  blast  of  the  bugle, 
and  the  cheer  of  “ Onward  ! Onward,”  from  their  beloved 
commander,  “ Little  Phil.” 

Sheridan  drew  nearer  to  Richmond  and  at  Yellow 
Tavern  another  fierce  encounter  occurred  between  his  men 
and  those  of  the  noble-hearted  Stuart.  The  Union  troops 
were  but  six  miles  from  the  Confederate  Capital,  and  if  they 
could  have  defeated  the  men  in  front  they  could  have 
perhaps  penetrated  into  the  very  heart  of  the  city  itself. 
But  such  was  not  to  be  the  outcome  of  the  affray,  for,  al- 
though the  chivalric  leader  of  the  Southern  cavalry  wras 
mortally  w'ounded  in  the  fierce  encounter  that  here  took 
place,  Richmond  had  awakened  to  its  peril,  and  reinforce- 
ments from  every  quarter  hurried  to  the  defence  of  the 
threatened  point;  so  that  Sheridan  saw*  the  uselessness 
of  further  advance  and  sheered  off  towards  the  north 
of  the  town.  One  of  his  men  says : “ We  marched  all 
night,  and  the  halts  were  frequent  and  exasperating.  It 
was  so  dark  that  we  could  only  follow'  the  cavalry  by 
putting  a bugler  on  a w'hite  horse  directly  in  the  rear  of  the 
regiment  in  front  of  us,  with  orders  to  move  on  as  soon  as 
they  did.  Finally,  w'hether  the  bugler  fell  asleep  while 
waiting,  or  we  fell  asleep  while  watching  the  white  horse, 
it  happened  that  we  found  a gap  of  unknown  dimensions 
in  front  of  us  and  started  to  trot  in  order  to  close  it  up. 
It  was  a swampy  region ; the  hoofs  and  the  wheels  made 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


335 


little  or  no  sound.  Once  the  blackness  was  pierced  with 
a jet  of  vivid  flame,  and  a sharp  explosion  on  the  road 
showed  that  we  had  sprung  one  of  the  torpedoes  which 
had  been  some  time  planted  there.  While  in  doubt  of  the 
direction  of  the  highway,  we  came  upon  a man  wrapped 
in  a blue  overcoat,  standing  near  a gate,  who  told  us  that 
General  Sheridan  had  left  him  to  show  us  the  way.  Of 
course  we  followed  his  direction  and  entered  the  gate. 
It  was  evident  that  we  were  very  near  the  city,  as  we  could 
see  the  lights  and  hear  the  dogs  barking.  The  road  be- 
came less  plainly  marked  and  led  into  extensive  pleasure 
grounds,  and  finally  we  brought  up  on  the  edge  of  a large, 
fish  pond;  at  that  moment,  half  a dozen  flashes  came 
from  what  seemed  to  be  an  embankment,  and  we  found 
that  we  were  in  a veritable  trap,  and  immediately  under 
the  fire  of  one  of  the  out- works  of  the  city.  The  guide,  who 
had  given  us  the  direction,  was  either  a deserter  or  a rebel 
in  our  uniform,  and  had  deliberately  misled  us.  He  re- 
ceived the  reward  of  his  treachery,  for  Colonel  McIntosh 
who  had,  from  the  first,  suspected  him,  kept  him  near  him ; 
and  when  their  guns  opened  on  our  advance,  blew  out  his 
brains. 

As  day  broke,  Sheridan,  himself,  galloped  up  to  his  com- 
mand with  a beaming  countenance. 

“Hello,  Charley!”  he  said  to  a Captain  Fitzhugh. 
“ What  are  you  doing  out  here?  Do  you  know  that  we 
have  only  a lot  of  department  clerks  from  Richmond  in 
front  of  us,  who  have  been  forced  into  the  ranks.  I could 
capture  Richmond,  if  I wanted  to,  but  I can’t  hold  it; 
and  the  prisoners  tell  me  that  every  house  in  the  suburbs 
is  loopholed,  and  the  streets  barricaded.  It  isn’t  worth 


536  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 

the  men  it  would  cost ; but  I’ll  stay  here  all  day  to  show 
these  fellows  how  much  I care  for  them,  and  go  when  I 
get  ready.  Send  for  your  cannon  and  take  it  easy.” 
This  was  the  spirit  of  the  man  who  turned  a defeat  into  a 
victory,  a few  months  later,  because  his  soldiers  knew 
that  he  would  march  into  the  very  jaws  of  death,  itself, 
rather  than  suffer  a reverse. 

But  Sheridan  only  remained  in  front  of  Richmond  long 
enough  to  buy  a paper  from  an  enterprising,  Virginia 
newsboy,  who  was  indifferent  to  the  horrors  of  war,  and 
crossed  a bridge  to  the  Union  lines.  The  General  eagerly 
exchanged  a quarter  for  a Richmond  “ Inquirer,”  and 
then  ordered  the  troops  to  retreat  towards  Malvern  Hill, 
where  an  army  of  Union  troops  under  General  Butler 
was  encamped.  From  here  the  wearied  cavalrymen  re- 
joined Grant  — with  a loss  of  over  600  men  and  300  horses. 
Lee’s  army  had,  for  a time,  been  deprived  of  the  use  of  its 
own  cavalry  force  (its  “ eyes  and  ears,”  as  this  was  called) ; 
the  communications  with  the  rear  had  been  badly  dam- 
aged; an  immense  quantity  of  supplies  had  been  cap- 
tured; “ Jeb  ” Stuart,  — the  gallant  leader  of  Southern 
cavalry,  — had  been  killed ; and  the  spirit  of  the  Union 
cavalry  corps  had  been  much  benefited  by  this  long, 
arduous,  and  severe  campaign.  Sheridan  said,  “ It  was 
good  fun,”  and  it  had  been. 

But  now  there  was  need  of  an  energetic  man  in  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  - — the  garden  spot  of  Virginia  — to 
stem  the  advance  of  General  Early;  in  command  of  a 
large  body  of  Confederate  troops  near  Winchester.  This 
soldier  had  made  a raid  upon  Washington  in  August  and 
had  marched  as  near  the  Capital  as  Sheridan  had  been 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


337 


near  Richmond  in  his  Trevilian  raid ; so  Grant  felt  that 
Sheridan  should  take  charge  of  a body  of  troops  collected 
to  give  him  battle,  and,  if  possible,  to  defeat  the  courageous 
Southerner.  Early  had  thirty  thousand  veterans  and  he 
was  in  the  midst  of  friends  and  acquaintances;  in  a 
country  which  he  knew  thoroughly  well ; and  with  an 
abundance  of  supplies  and  forage  for  both  men  and 
horses.  He  was  a leader  quite  worthy  of  the  mettle  of  the 
gallant  Sheridan,  and  a shrewd  and  far-seeing  campaigner. 
The  old  warrior  was  of  middle-age;  tall  and  heavy;  with 
an  energetic  and  sturdy  disposition  ; while  in  the  ranks  of 
his  command  were  many  of  the  bravest  and  most  intelligent 
of  the  Southern  Generals.  Sheridan  had  troops  from  Ohio, 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  England,  and  he,  too, 
had  able  subordinates  in  the  ranks.  William  McKinley 
and  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  — both  destined  to  be  Presidents 
of  the  United  States  — were  holding  minor  positions 
among  his  troops;  while  Crook,  Custer,  Wright,  and 
Torbet : warriors  who  have  left  bright  names  in  the  annals 
of  the  army,  were  also  with  his  men.  In  after  years  Crook 
was  acknowledged  to  be  the  ablest,  Indian  fighter  in  the 
West;  while  the  impetuous  Custer  lost  his  gallant  life 
in  a reckless  and  ill-judged  charge  upon  the  followers  of 
Sitting  Bull  — many  years  later  — in  the  Valley  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn,  of  far  western  Wyoming. 

When  operations  were  begun  against  the  Confederate 
position  the  following  order  was  sent  to  General  Sheridan  : 

“ In  pushing  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  as  it  is  ex- 
pected you  will  have  to  go  there  first  or  last,  it  is  desirable 
that  nothing  should  be  left  to  invite  the  enemy  to  return. 


338  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Take  all  provisions,  forage,  and  stock  wanted  for  your 
command.  Such  as  cannot  be  consumed ; destroy. 
It  is  not  desirable  that  buildings  should  be  destroyed  — 
they  should  rather  be  protected  — but  the  people  should 
be  informed  that  so  long  as  an  army  can  subsist  among 

them,  recurrences  of  these  raids  must  be  expected,  and 
we  are  determined  to  put  a stop  to  them  at  all  hazards. 
Bear  in  mind  the  object  is  to  drive  the  enemy  South. 

“ U.  S.  Grant, 

“ Lieutenant-General.'" 

This  whole  country  was  magnificently  watered  by  the 
Shenandoah  River,  and  was  so  well  adapted  to  raising 
grain  and  rearing  live  stock,  that  there  was  an  abundance 
of  subsistence  for  the  Confederate  troops.  Was  it  a wonder, 

then,  that  Grant  wished  to  cripple  the  enemy?  For  with 
this  bountiful  valley  to  supply  the  troops,  Early  could 
keep  up  the  fight  for  all  time.  So,  — relentless  and  hard  as 
it  must  be  to  the  peaceful  inhabitants,  — Sheridan  had  to 
burn,  pillage,  and  destroy,  until  a locust  winging  its  flight 
across  the  once  fruitful  vale  would  find  it  difficult  to  sub- 
sist upon  what  he  found.  It  was  hard,  indeed,  but  war  is 
a terrible  curse  and  its  ways  are  not  gentle. 

Sheridan  found  out  through  a Quaker  schoolmistress 
of  Winchester,  one  day,  that  a portion  of  the  Confederate 
army  had  been  ordered  away  to  join  General  Lee,  who 
was  battling  with  Grant  before  Richmond,  so  he  decided 
to  attack,  and  to  attack  at  once.  For  months  he  and  Early 
had  been  watching  each  other  and  neither  had  dared  to 
bring  on  an  engagement,  for  each  had  too  much  respect 
for  the  ability  of  the  other.  On  September  19th,  1864, 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


339 


the  peaceful  valley  of  the  Shenandoah  echoed  with  the 
boom  of  cannon;  the  crack  of  the  rifle;  and  the  cheers 
of  the  soldiers,  as  the  Union  troops  advanced  against  the 
lines  of  Confederate  veterans,  two  miles  east  of  Winchester. 
It  was  a sanguinary  contest  and  it  raged  all  day;  but, 
as  the  sun  sank  behind  the  dark  thunder  clouds ; Sheridan 
had  won,  and  the  troops  in  gray  retreated  through  the 
town  to  take  up  another  strong  defensive  position  near 
Fisher’s  Hill.  Here  they  threw  up  formidable  earth-wmrks 
and  awaited,  with  eagerness,  the  attack  which  they  knew 
would  shortly  come. 

The  restless  and  relentless  Sheridan  did  not  long  leave 
them  in  peace,  for  he  believed  in  following  up  one  severe 
blow,  with  another;  and  that  as  soon  as  he  was  able 
to  administer  it.  He  therefore  reformed  his  army  with 
alacrity  and  sent  his  disabled  and  crippled  soldiers  to  the 
rear.  The  troops  were  ordered  to  march  at  once  upon  the 
enemy,  and,  after  two  days  of  manoeuvring,  faced  the 
Confederate  entrenchments  on  the  plateau  of  Fisher’s 
Hill,  where  rows  of  well -planted  artillery  made  it  evident 
that  an  attack  in  front  would  be  as  foolhardy  as  the 
advance  of  the  British  troops  up  Bunker  Hill.  So  Sheridan 
determined  to  out-flank  the  position  at  once,  and,  with  this 
end  in  view,  ordered  General  Crook’s  command  to  defile 
up  the  western  side  of  the  valley  — through  some  dense 
woods  — and  to  attack  the  rear  of  Early’s  troops  at  the 
break  of  day,  if  they  could  get  in  position  without  being 
discovered. 

All  night  the  Union  soldiers  crept  stealthily  through 
the  forest,  and  in  the  morning  were  well  to  the  right 
of  the  Confederate  position  and  hidden  in  the  dense 


340  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


timber.  At  daylight  they  moved  to  the  rear  of  Early’s 
troops;  and,  late  in  the  afternoon,  were  in  a position  to 
attack.  They  wheeled  to  the  Eastward ; advanced  upon 
the  lines  of  the  enemy ; and  so  completely  routed  the  men 
of  the  South,  that,  as  evening  fell,  the  whole  of  Early’s 
army  was  driven  in  confusion  from  its  strong  position  at 
Fisher’s  Hill;  abandoning  its  artillery  and  entrenching 
tools  to  their  fate.  All  discipline  and  organization  were 
lost,  as  the  retreating  mass  rushed  aimlessly  from  the  field 
of  battle;  pursued  for  ten  miles  by  the  exultant  and 
victorious  Federals. 

The  condition  of  Early’s  army  wras  now  deplorable, 
for  not  only  had  over  twelve  hundred  prisoners  been  cap- 
tured, but  twenty  pieces  of  artillery  had  been  taken  by 
Sheridan’s  men.  The  Southern  troops  w’ere  shattered ; 
the  men  w^ere  much  exhausted;  and  many  of  them  w'ere 
without  shoes.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Union  soldiers 
were  exultant  with  success  and  flushed  vfith  the  confi- 
dence which  twx)  brilliant  triumphs  could  alone  create; 
while  the  effect  of  this  second,  decisive  victory  was  most 
encouraging  to  the  North,  and  the  belief  became  general 
that  the  end  of  this  bloody  war  was,  at  last,  in  sight. 
But  there  was  yet  to  come  a rude  awakening,  a few  months 
later,  when  the  joy  of  these  victories  was  to  be  turned  into 
despair ; and  when  the  whole  success  of  Sheridan’s 
operations  in  the  Valley  were  nearly  overturned  and 
brought  to  nothing  by  the  incidents  of  a single  day. 

Although  pursued  by  the  Union  cavalry,  Early  was  not 
beaten,  and  soon  had  reorganized  his  half-equipped  army 
and  marched  it  up  the  Valley  again  to  once  more  retard  the 
progress  of  Sheridan’s  men.  He  had  been  reinforced  by 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


341 


a considerable  body  of  cavalry  under  General  Rosser 
(called  “ the  Saviour  of  the  Valley  ”)  and  these  became  so 
bold  and  aggressive,  that  Sheridan  sent  his  own  horsemen, 
under  Crook,  Merritt,  and  Custer,  to  put  an  end  to  their 
aggressive  tactics.  The  two  bodies  of  horse  met  at  Tom’s 
Brook,  and  here  a brilliant,  cavalry  battle  took  place, 
which  near  equalled  that  famous  fight  of  Brandy  Station 
between  Stuart  and  Pleasanton.  A chronicler  of  the 
period  thus  describes  the  situation  : 

“ The  country  was  level  and  open,  and  the  fighting  on 
both  sides  was  done  in  the  saddle,  while  sabres  were  the 
weapons  mainly  used.  For  two  hours  the  result  of  the 
conflict  was  in  doubt;  charges  and  countercharges  on 
both  sides,  sometimes  succeeding,  and  again  being  repulsed ; 
but,  at  last,  while  the  Confederate  centre  held  firm,  the 
flanks  began  to  waver,  and,  as  these  receded,  a general 
charge  along  the  whole  front  was  made  by  the  Northern 
troopers.  This  resulted  in  a complete  breaking  up  of  the 
Confederate  line,  and,  in  a few  moments  afterward,  in  a 
complete  rout,  when  every  Southern  trooper  put  spurs  to 
his  horse  and  strove  to  save  himself  as  best  he  could.  Our 
men  pursued  them  hotly ; and  for  more  than  twenty  miles 
this  wild  stampede  continued  without  a single  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy  to  rally  their  force,  or  check  the  pursuit. 
Three  hundred  prisoners;  eleven  pieces  of  artillery;  and 
every  ambulance  and  wagon  that  the  enemy  possessed, 
were  captured  and  brought  into  our  lines,  and,  this  action  — 
known  as  the  ‘ Woodstock  Races  ’ — effectually  checked 
the  aggressive  tendencies  of  the  Confederate  cavalry, 
and  cost  them  the  good  opinion  of  General  Early  to  such 
a degree,  that  he  reported  to  General  Lee  that  his  horse- 


342  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


men  were  so  badly  demoralized  that  they  should  be  im- 
mediately dismounted.” 

Shortly  after  this  magnificent,  cavalry  battle  General 
Sheridan  decided  to  go  to  Washington  in  order  to  consult 
with  the  President  and  Secretary  of  War  concerning  the 
future  conduct  of  the  campaign.  So  he  bade  farewell  to 
his  troops  for  a few  days,  and  hastened  to  the  Capital 
with  two  military  aids.  He  left  his  army  at  Cedar  Creek 
camped  on  high  ground,  flanked  on  the  east  by  a branch 
of  the  Shenandoah  River,  and  a steep  bluff,  which  rose 
high  above  the  beautiful  stream  at  its  base.  It  was 
densely  wooded,  and,  as  not  even  a bridle  path  could  be 
seen,  it  was  thought  that  no  troops  could  possibly  approach 
the  Union  position  from  this  point.  The  Confederate 
army,  too,  had  been  so  badly  whipped,  that  it  was  hardly 
expected  that  another  attack  could  come.  But  there  was 
an  officer  among  the  Southern  troops  — General  Gordon 
— who  searched  every  inch  of  the  Union  position  with  a 
field-glass  and  conceived  the  idea  of  carrying  his  own 
corps  around  the  densely  wooded  bluff  on  the  Union  left, 
during  the  night,  and  of  falling  upon  Sheridan’s  sleeping 
troops  at  daybreak.  He  disclosed  his  plan  to  General 
Early,  and,  although  this  officer  disapproved  of  it,  at  first, 
he  finally  consented  to  allow  the  movement  to  proceed. 

In  speaking  of  the  battle  that  ensued,  General  Gordon 
has  written  in  his  Memoirs,  “ While  I was  watching 
Sheridan’s  position  through  my  glass,  it  flashed  upon  me 
instantly  that  the  expectation  of  General  Sheridan  was 
that  we  would  attack  him  on  his  right,  which  was  the 
only  place  supposed  possible  for  the  advance  of  an  army. 
His  left  was  protected  by  the  Shenandoah;  at  this  point 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


343 


the  mountain  was  very  precipitous;  and  the  river  ran 
around  it.  There  was  no  road  at  all,  and  the  point  was 
guarded  only  by  a mere  cavalry  picket. 

“ There  was  a back  road  running  from  our  position 
on  Fisher’s  Hill  and  I intended  to  send  a large  force  under 
Lomax  to  attack  Sheridan’s  right,  which  would  make  him 
believe  that  all  our  troops  were  there.  This,  I felt  sure, 
would  leave  me  free  to  fall  upon  his  left,  where  there 
would  be  little  resistance.  My  plan  was  to  dismount  our 
cavalry,  attack  Sheridan’s  cavalrymen  when  on  foot,  and 
keep  them  moving.  I knew  that  we  could  gain  a great 
victory,  and  although  General  Early  and  his  staff  were 
incredulous,  I told  them  that  if  I were  allowed  to  carry  out 
my  plan,  we  could  annihilate  Sheridan’s  army  and  drive 
him  pell-mell  out  of  the  Valley. 

“ General  Early  acted  promptly  after  he  once  understood 
my  project.  The  plan  was  submitted ; talked  over ; and 
finally  agreed  upon.  I took  my  command,  having  ordered 
the  men  to  leave  their  canteens,  sabres,  and  everything 
that  could  make  a noise,  behind ; for  I knew  that  our  only 
dependence  was  on  absolute  secrecy  and  in  complete  sur- 
prise. I found  that  I could  get  my  soldiers  around  the 
mountain,  by  putting  them  in  single  file,  and  that  the 
horses  could  be  led  along,  although  the  venture  would  be 
exceedingly  dangerous.  The  movement  took  all  night. 
All  through  the  hours  of  darkness,  the  silent  figures  crept 
to  their  position  near  the  sleeping  enemy,  and  I instructed 
my  men  that,  as  soon  as  they  got  around  the  mountain, 
they  were  to  rush  upon  Sheridan’s  cavalry  pickets  and  cap- 
ture them,  if  possible.  They  were  to  then  put  their  horses 
to  full  speed ; ride  right  through  the  Federal  camp ; firing 


344  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


their  pistols  to  the  right  and  to  the  left  as  they  passed; 
and  make  directly  for  Sheridan’s  headquarters  to  capture 
him.  I did  not  know  that  he  was  absent  when  I gave  the 
order. 

“ My  plan  carried  out  to  a nicety,  and,  just  about  day- 
light, we  were  upon  the  Union  cavalry  pickets.  Away  they 
went,  and  I rushed  across  the  river  with  my  whole  corps  of 
infantry  on  the  double-quick.  The  Union  army  broke 
into  shreds ; it  doubled  up ; it  snapped ; it  melted  into 
nothingness.  I was  making  every  effort  to  get  a mass  of 
artillery  into  position  when  General  Early  rode  up.  He 
was  wild  with  joy  and  beamed  upon  me.  I exclaimed, 
‘ General  Early,  give  me  thirty  pieces  of  cannon  right  here 
and  we  will  destroy  that  army  and  send  the  fragments  over 
the  Potomac,  for  I know  that  the  supreme  moment  has 
arrived.’ 

“‘No,  No,’  he  said.  ‘We’ve  won  a great  victory; 
we’ve  done  enough  for  one  day.  We’ll  stop  here.’ 

“ ‘ But,’  I answered,  ‘ let  us  finish  the  job.  It  is  true 
we  have  won  a great  victory ; let  us  complete  it.  We  can 
do  it  in  an  hour  and  so  destroy  Sheridan’s  army  that  it  will 
never  show  its  head  in  the  Valley  again.’ 

“ But  General  Early  said,  no ; that  the  men  had  seen 
fighting  enough  and  that  we  had  won  glory  enough  for 
one  day. 

“ ‘ Very  well,  sir,’  I replied,  * then  I will  return  to  my 
command.’ 

“And  I did  so;  while  we  followed  up  the  Federals  as 
they  retreated : our  men  jubilant  and  tremendously  elated 
at  their  victory.” 

Meanwhile  what  had  happened  to  General  Sheridan  ? He 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


345 


had  left  Washington  at  twelve  o’clock  two  days  before  on 
a special  train  for  Martinsburg  and  had  reached  there  that 
evening  with  two  Engineer  Officers.  On  the  following 
morning  — accompanied  by  a cavalry  escort  — he  started 
to  ride  to  Winchester  — about  fifteen  miles  north  of  the 
battle-field  at  Cedar  Creek  — and  he  reached  there  at 
four  in  the  afternoon.  About  sunset  a courier  arrived 
from  the  camp  saying  that  all  was  well  with  the  army  and 
that  there  were  no  signs  of  any  movement  on  the  part  of 
the  Confederates.  So  Sheridan  retired  to  well-merited 
slumber;  much  reassured  about  the  condition  of  his  be- 
loved command. 

At  about  six  o’clock  on  the  following  morning,  faint 
sounds  of  firing  came  from  the  direction  of  the  troops, 
but  the  General  supposed  them  to  arise  from  a recon- 
noitering  party  which  he  had  been  told  was  to  be  sent  out 
on  that  day. 

But  later,  the  firing  continued,  and  the  deep  boom  of 
the  cannon  became  so  distinct  that  Sheridan  determined 
to  be  at  once  to  horse,  and  on  his  way  towards  the  noise  of 
battle.  About  nine  o’clock  he  galloped  in  the  direction 
of  Cedar  Creek  ; mounted  on  his  favourite,  black  charger ; 
Rienzi,  and,  as  he  went  slowly  onward,  he  bent  his  head 
over  the  saddle  bow  and  listened  intently  to  the  sound  of 
cannonading,  which  increased  with  such  volume,  that  he 
became  firmly  convinced  that  a great  battle  was  in  prog- 
ress ; and  that  the  Union  army  — - his  own  army  — was 
retreating  before  the  onslaughts  of  Early’s  men. 

About  two  miles  south  of  Winchester  he  came  across  a 
number  of  wounded  soldiers,  stragglers,  and  several  bag- 
gage wagons;  all  making  their  way  toward  Winchester 
on  the  double-quick. 


346  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ What’s  the  matter,  boys?  ” called  Sheridan.  “ What 
are  you  running  for  ? ” 

“ We’re  licked,  General,”  replied  a straggler.  “ And 
the  hull,  blamed  army  is  on  the  dead  run.  Early’s  getting 
even  with  us  for  the  two  drubbings  you’ve  given  him.” 

What  a terrible  blow  this  must  have  been  for  Sheridan  — 
Sheridan,  the  man  who  had  never  met  defeat  before  in  his 
life  — Sheridan,  whose  orders  were  never  “ go  on,”  but 
“ come  on  ” and  “ follow  me  ” — Sheridan,  who  had 
scaled  the  bristling  sides  of  Missionary  Ridge  — who  had 
almost  ridden  into  Richmond  — and  who  had  torn  the 
very  heart  out  of  the  once  peerless  squadrons  of  Jeb 
Stuart.  His  face  grew  scarlet ; his  eyes  blazed  with  the 
light  of  intense  anger ; and  he  dug  his  spurs  hard  into 
Rienzi’s  flanks,  while  the  black  charger  thundered  down 
the  macadamized  road  which  led  towards  the  furious 
firing. 

“ Go  back  to  Winchester,  immediately,”  he  shouted 
to  one  of  his  aids.  “ Order  all  the  forces  there  to  spread 
across  the  valley  and  stop  these  cowards.  We’ve  got  to  turn 
them  and  turn  them  fast.” 

Then  he  pushed  onward  and  the  road  became  so  blocked 
with  wagons,  artillery,  and  retreating  infantry,  that  he 
was  obliged  to  ride  into  the  fields  in  order  to  get  to  the 
front.  The  soldiers  all  recognized  him,  and  every  group 
that  he  met,  cheered  wildly  as  the  black  charger  — now 
flecked  with  white  foam  — sped  by  their  panic-stricken 
columns. 

“ Come  back,”  shouted  Sheridan,  with  his  cap  in  hand. 
“ This  would  never  have  happened  if  I had  been  here. 
Come  back,  boys.  Let  us  go  and  recover  our  camp.  Let 
us  go  back.” 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


347 


As  he  spoke  the  soldiers  faced  about  and  turned  their 
steps  towards  the  advancing  foe.  The  whole  current  of 
retreat  was  changed,  and  the  army,  invigorated  by  the 
confidence  which  was  felt  in  his  leadership,  was,  by  an 
almost  spontaneous  impulse,  ready  and  eager  to  resume 
the  conflict  of  the  morning.  Cheer  after  cheer  rose  from 
the  men  in  blue : they  were  infused  with  new  life  and 
determination. 

Dashing  along  the  pike,  Sheridan  came  upon  the  line  of 
battle. 

“ What  troops  are  these?  ” he  shouted. 

“ The  Sixth  Corps,”  was  the  response  from  a hundred 
voices. 

“ We’re  all  right,”  answered  the  General,  swinging  his 
hat  as  he  thundered  along  the  line  towards  the  right. 
“ Never  mind,  boys,  we’ll  whip  them  yet,  we’ll  whip  them 
yet.  We  shall  sleep  in  our  quarters  to-night.” 

Marengo;  one  of  Napoleon  the  First’s  greatest  vic- 
tories, would  have  been  an  utter  defeat,  had  not  Marshal 
Desaix  come  upon  the  bloody  field  when  the  French  were 
wilting  before  the  Austrian  attack.  Shiloh  would  have 
been  a Confederate  victory,  had  not  Grant  hurried  to  the 
rescue  of  Sherman’s  beaten  forces.  Fontenoy  would  have 
been  a rout  for  the  French,  had  not  the  Brigade  of  Exiles 
arrived  fresh  upon  the  field  at  the  moment  of  direst  distress. 
Wellington’s  shot-riddled  squares  at  Waterloo  would  have 
been  crushed  by  Ney’s  cuirassiers,  had  not  Bliicher’s 
stubborn  Prussians  thrown  themselves  upon  Napoleon’s 
bleeding  right-flank  at  the  close  of  that  awful  day.  But 
never  in  the  annals  of  warfare  among  civilized  people 
has  a retreating  army  ever  braced  itself  at  the  sight  of 


348  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


its  beloved  leader,  as  did  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah; 
and  never  has  a force  of  troops,  crushed,  broken,  and 
confused,  as  were  these,  ever  turned  an  utter  defeat  into  a 
glorious  victory,  as  did  the  men  of  Sheridan’s  command 
by  the  rippling  waters  of  the  blue  Shenandoah.  The  battle 
of  Cedar  Creek,  on  October  the  19th,  1864,  was  unique, 
original;  magnificently  bold.  Its  story  will  go  down  to 
the  ages  as  the  most  thrilling  in  all  history. 

It  was  half-past  ten  o’clock  when  Sheridan  reached  the 
front,  and  quick  as  thought,  he  comprehended  the  whole 
scene.  A small  division  of  infantry  was  all  that  was  hold- 
ing its  ground  against  the  Confederate  attack,  and  its  com- 
manding officer  rode  out  to  meet  the  General.  “ Thank 
God.  You  have  come  ! ” he  said  with  fervour.  “ I’m  glad, 
myself,  that  I am  here,”  Sheridan  replied,  and  jumping  his 
horse  over  a line  of  fence  rails,  he  galloped  to  the  crest  of 
a hill  and  waved  his  hat.  The  men  of  the  Sixth  Corps 
sprang  up  from  behind  some  stone  fences,  with  which 
they  had  been  protecting  themselves,  with  cheers  of  rec- 
ognition, and,  as  their  leader  went  onward,  a number  of 
regimental  flags  rose  up  from  the  ground,  as  it  seemed, 
and  around  them  the  troops  quickly  gathered.  They  were 
now  cool,  and,  as  the  Confederates  did  not  press  their 
attack,  there  was  opportunity  to  reform  the  lines  in  regular 
order.  When  this  was  done,  the  gallant  Sheridan  galloped 
in  front  of  all  his  troops,  with  hat  in  hand,  and  told  them 
to  advance  and  retrieve  their  lost  laurels. 

But  the  soldiers  had  no  need  of  exhortations  to  push 
them  onward.  Wben  all  was  ready  — about  four  in  the 
afternoon  — they  swept  down  upon  Early’s  troops  with 
a determination  that  was  irresistible.  The  Southerners 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


349 


were  behind  stone  walls,  which  afforded  them  good  pro- 
tection, but  nothing  could  stop  the  onrush  of  Sheridan’s 
men.  The  cavalry  in  the  flanks  charged  home ; the 
soldiers  were  beyond  restraint;  and,  with  hoarse  cheers 
of  defiance,  the  once,  victorious  veterans  of  the  Southern 
army,  were  overwhelmed  and  thrown  into  utter  confusion. 
It  was  a greater  rout  than  that  of  the  morning;  the  guns 
and  the  ambulances  which  had  been  captured  were  all 
retaken ; twelve  hundred  prisoners  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Sheridan’s  veterans,  and,  the  cavalry  pushed  back  the  now 
dispirited,  Confederate  host,  until  the  disorganized  mass  of 
fugitives  found  a temporary  shelter  behind  the  fortified 
lines  at  Fisher’s  Hill.  The  most  badly  whipped  army 
of  the  war  had,  in  turn,  thrashed  the  victors  with  a ven- 
geance that  was  terrific. 

So  ended  the  famous  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  which  has 
made  the  name  of  Sheridan  one  of  the  most  famous  of  all 
history.  The  ragged  troops  of  General  Early  were  so 
badly  broken  by  the  series  of  disasters  that  had  overtaken 
them,  that  they  never  again  presented  a formidable  front 
to  their  victors.  The  Valley  had  been  swept  clean  of  all 
subsistence,  and  they  could  no  longer  live  bountifully,  as 
they  had  done  before.  So,  by  degrees  the  Southern  force 
melted  away;  some  of  the  men  returning  to  their  farms; 
the  rest  rejoining  the  army  of  General  Lee  before  Rich- 
mond. Within  a period  of  six  months  the  intrepid  Sheri- 
dan had  defeated,  broken,  and  driven  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles;  an  army  which  had  burned  towns  in  Mary- 
land and  Pennsylvania ; had  threatened  Washington ; 
spread  consternation  and  dismay  throughout  the  North; 
and  had  seemed  to  be  fully  equal  in  numbers  and  courage 


350  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


to  his  own  troops.  Fully  satisfied  with  the  result  of  his 
untiring  efforts,  he  now  rejoined  General  Grant,  and  was 
soon  engaged  in  pressing  the  army  of  General  Lee  to  a 
point  where  it,  too,  had  to  abandon  its  lines  of  defence 
and  seek  safety  in  flight. 

General  Lee  was  at  Petersburg  with  the  right  of  his  line 
at  Dinwiddie  Court  House,  when  Sheridan  was  ordered 
to  endeavour  to  break  his  extended  defences.  He  attacked 
with  so  much  fury  that  the  position  of  the  Confederates 
was  shaken,  and  their  earthworks  were  abandoned  to  the 
Union  advance.  The  artillery  was  of  great  assistance  in 
this  affair,  and  poured  in  a hot  fire  upon  the  enemy,  while 
the  cavalry  did  excellent  service  with  repeating  carbines. 
General  Sheridan  rode  along  the  front  of  his  lines  and 
exposed  himself  so  freely  that  it  is  remarkable  that  he 
escaped  without  a wound,  and,  his  men,  animated  by 
his  presence,  fought  with  a splendid  courage.  At  the 
close  of  the  day,  one  of  the  severest  actions  in  which  his 
cavalry  had  been  engaged  was  brought  to  an  end ; it 
had  lasted  from  dawn  until  nightfall,  and  the  loss  in  men 
and  horses  was  great. 

This  contest  was  soon  followed  by  a more  severe  affair 
at  Five  Forks,  which  so  shattered  the  lines  of  General  Lee 
that  he  decided  to  retreat  towards  the  west  and  south,  and 
to  endeavour  to  join  his  army  with  that  of  General  Johnston 
in  North  Carolina.  So  on  April  the  3rd,  1865,  the  Army 
of  Virginia  evacuated  Richmond,  and  the  half-fed  and 
badly  equipped  men  in  gray,  began  a dispirited  retreat 
toward  the  Southwest.  Sheridan  was  now  the  incarnation 
of  energy  and  action.  He  hurried  forward  with  his  cavalry 
corps,  and  hastened,  with  all  possible  speed,  to  place  him- 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


351 


self  in  the  rear  of  General  Lee,  so  that  he  would  be  hemmed 
in  between  his  troops  and  those  of  General  Grant.  It  was 
a discouraging  march  for  Lee.  Wherever  he  looked  he 
saw  the  oncoming  and  exultant  crowds  of  Union  soldiers, 
and  whenever  he  stopped  to  rest,  Sheridan’s  men  would 
be  in  front  of  his  advance  guard.  Like  a hornet,  Sheridan, 
buzzed  about  the  disintegrating  mass  of  Southern  soldiers ; 
he  captured  the  supplies  that  were  expected  to  reach  the 
army  from  the  South;  he  threw  himself  directly  in  the 
path  of  the  now  disheartened  troops ; and  finally,  on  the 
eighth  of  April,  the  gallant  leader  of  the  army  of  the  South 
saw  that  all  avenues  of  escape  were  closed  to  him ; that  his 
men  were  weary,  foot-sore;  half  dead  with  fatigue  and 
hunger;  and  so,  at  the  little  village  of  Appomattox,  he 
capitulated  to  General  Grant.  The  great  War  of  the 
Rebellion  was  over. 

As  a matter  of  fact  General  Sheridan  came  near  not 
surviving  the  war  at  all,  and  the  reason  for  it  was  as  follows. 
When  General  Lee  had  decided  to  surrender,  he  ordered 
General  Gordon  to  send  out  an  Orderly  with  a flag  of  truce 
and  to  inform  General  Grant  that  he  was  ready  to  treat  with 
him  for  terms  of  peace.  General  Gordon  told  one  of 
his  men  to  take  a flag  of  truce  into  the  Union  lines,  but 
his  soldier  said,  “ I have  no  flag  of  truce,  sir,  as  I have 
never  supposed  that  I would  need  one.  How  can  I go 
with  such  a thing  ? ” 

“ Well,  take  your  handkerchief  and  tie  it  on  a stick  and 
go,”  replied  Gordon. 

The  soldier  felt  in  his  pockets,  and  answered : “ Gen- 
eral, I have  no  handkerchief.” 

“ Then,  tear  your  shirt  and  tie  that  to  a stick,  sir.” 


352  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


The  soldier  looked  at  his  shirt,  and  then  at  General 
Gordon. 

“ General,  I have  on  a flannel  shirt,”  he  replied,  “ and 
I see  that  you  have  also.  I don’t  believe  that  there’s 
a white  shirt  in  the  army.” 

“ Get  something,  sir,”  answered  Gordon.  “ Get  some- 
thing and  go ! ” 

So  the  fellow  secured  a rag  of  some  sort  and  rode  rapidly 
away  towards  the  Union  lines.  He  soon  found  General 
Sheridan  and  returned  to  General  Gordon  with  an  officer 
of  strikingly,  picturesque  appearance,  who  was  slender, 
graceful,  and  apparently  a superior  rider.  His  hair  was 
long  and  fell  almost  to  his  shoulders.  Guided  by  the 
Confederate  soldier,  this  cavalier  rode  up  to  the  Southern 
leader  of  infantry  and  with  faultless  grace  and  courtesy, 
saluted  him  with  his  sabre,  and  said : 

“ I am  General  Custer  and  bear  a message  to  you  from 
General  Sheridan.  The  General  desires  me  to  present 
to  you  his  compliments,  and  to  demand  the  immediate 
and  unconditional  surrender  of  the  troops  under  your 
command.” 

Gordon  thundered,  “ You  will  please,  General,  return  my 
compliments  to  General  Sheridan,  and  say  to  him  that  I 
shall  not  surrender  my  command.” 

“ He  directs  me  to  say  to  you,  General,”  answered 
Custer,  “ that  he  has  you  surrounded  and  can  annihilate 
your  command  in  an  hour.” 

To  this  General  Gordon  thundered  that  he  was  as  well 
aware  of  the  situation  as  was  General  Sheridan,  and 
that  if  General  Sheridan  decided  to  continue  the  fight- 
ing in  the  face  of  the  flag  of  truce,  the  responsibility 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


353 


for  the  blood  shed,  would  be  his,  and  not  the  Confed- 
erates. 

In  a short  time  thereafter  a white  flag  was  seen  ap- 
proaching, and  under  it  was  Philip  Sheridan,  accom- 
panied by  a mounted  escort.  He  was  riding  an  enormous 
horse,  which  was  the  spirited  Rienzi,  his  famous  animal. 
He  rode  in  front  of  his  escort,  and  an  orderly  was  beside 
him,  carrying  a flag.  Around  General  Gordon  were  his 
faithful  sharpshooters,  and  as  General  Sheridan  came  up, 
and  was  within  range  of  the  rifles,  a half-witted  fellow 
raised  his  gun  as  if  to  fire.  The  Confederate  leader 
ordered  him  to  lower  his  gun  and  told  him  that  he  must 
not  fire  on  a flag  of  truce ; but  the  soldier  did  not  obey 
his  order  cheerfully  and  held  his  rifle  in  a position  for 
shooting.  He  had  raised  his  rifle  again,  and  had  his  hand 
upon  the  trigger,  when  Gordon  caught  the  gun  and  said, 
with  emphasis, 

“ Put  that  gun  down,  sir.  Did  I not  tell  you  not  to  fire 
upon  a flag  of  truce,  sir?” 

At  this  the  soldier  protestingly  obeyed. 

“ Well,  General,  let  him  stay  on  his  own  side  if  he  doesn’t 
want  to  get  hurt,”  he  answered. 

General  Sheridan  never  knew  how  close  he  had  come 
to  death,  and  how  a half-witted  fellow  had  nearly  ended 
his  days. 

A truce  was  soon  decided  upon  by  Lee  and  Grant  and 
the  Southern  army  was  disbanded.  Some  of  the  soldiers 
found  temporary  employment  near  the  place  of  surrender, 
with  an  old  farmer  who  was  uneducated,  but  loyal  to  the 
South.  A soldier  in  Sheridan’s  army  inquired  about 
some  squads  of  men  which  he  saw  working  in  the  fields. 


354  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


“ Who  are  those  men  working  over  there  ? ” he  asked. 
“ Them  are  privates,  sir,  in  Lee’s  army,”  was  the  re- 
joinder. 

“ Well,  how  do  they  work?  ” 

“ Very  fine,  sir;  first-rate  workers.” 

“ Who  are  those  in  the  second  group?  ” 

“ Them  is  Lieutenants  and  Captains,  and  they  work 
fairly  well,  but  not  as  good  workers  as  the  privates.” 

“ I see  you  have  a third  squad  : Who  are  they?  ” 

“ Them  is  Colonels.” 

“ Well,  what  about  the  Colonels  ? How  do  they  work  ? ” 
“ Now,  neighbour,”  was  the  answer.  “ You’ll  never 
hear  me  say  one  word  ag’in  any  man  who  fit  in  the  Southern 
army;  but  I ain’t  a gwine  to  hire  no  Generals ! ” 

Soon  after  the  surrender,  Sheridan  was  ordered  to 
Washington,  and  immediately  dispatched  to  Texas  in 
order  to  take  command  of  the  troops  West  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river.  He  departed  with  a heavy  heart,  for  he  had 
hoped  to  take  part  in  a grand  review  of  the  army  in  Wash- 
ington, and  to  march  up  the  Avenue  at  the  head  of  his  men. 
But  a man  of  his  calibre  was  sorely  needed  in  Texas;  for 
Maximilian,  with  a French  army,  occupied  Mexico,  and 
it  was  well  known  that  he  had  intentions  of  no  friendly 
nature  towards  the  United  States.  So,  with  a large  force, 
Sheridan  marched  to  the  border  line  between  Mexico 
and  the  United  States,  which  so  sobered  the  French,  that 
their  army  was  immediately  withdrawn  from  the  frontier 
and  home-rule  was  shortly  afterwards  established.  Maxi- 
milian was  shot,  and  thus  ended  a brilliant  career,  — 
ignominiously. 

After  some  years  in  New  Orleans,  the  General  was 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


355 


ordered  to  take  charge  of  the  Department  of  the  Missouri 
— with  headquarters  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas  — - for 
there  was  constant  trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  settlers 
were  frequently  attacked.  His  headquarters  were  moved 
to  Fort  Hays,  and  later  to  Camp  Supply,  in  Kansas: 
a place  quite  near  the  hostile  Indians,  and  from  which  his 
troops  could  be  easily  marched  against  them.  Of  the 
fight  against  Black  Kettle  in  the  snow-storm,  when 
gallant  Custer  and  his  Seventh  Cavalry  won  a decisive 
victory,  we  have  given  an  account  in  the  Essay  upon 
General  Custer.  Sheridan  took  no  active  part  in  the 
attack,  but  directed  the  movements  of  the  troops  from 
the  base  of  supplies,  with  such  success,  that  the  Indian 
disturbances  were  soon  a thing  of  the  past,  and  peace 
reigned  upon  the  plains  of  Kansas  and  Missouri. 

While  stationed  at  New  Orleans,  Sheridan  had  an  old 
fellow  attached  to  his  command  who  was  in  a most  un- 
fortunate condition.  One  arm  was  in  a sling;  his  nose 
was  disfigured  by  powder ; and  both  his  legs  were  so  badly 
crippled  that  he  was  forced  to  hobble  along  with  two 
crutches.  As  pensions  had  not  then  been  provided  for  the 
Union  troops,  he  aided  his  scanty  purse,  by  receiving 
such  sums  as  passers-by  were  kind  enough  to  give  him. 

One  day  he  was  surprised  by  a dignified-looking  Gentle- 
man, well-dressed  and  apparently  a man  of  means,  who 
came  across  the  street  and  placed  a twenty  dollar  gold 
piece  in  his  hat. 

“ Wh-y,  th-a-nk  you  ! ” stammered  the  cut-up  private. 
“ This  is  very  k-i-nd  ! ” 

“ Oh,  that’s  all  right,”  replied  the  Southerner.  “ You 
deserve  it  all,  for  you’re  the  first  Yankee  I’ve  ever  seen  alive, 
who  was  carved  up  to  suit  me.” 


356  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


War  was  now  in  progress  between  Prussia  and  France, 
and  as  Sheridan  greatly  desired  to  see  the  furious  fighting 
which  he  knew  would  soon  be  going  on,  he  applied  for 
leave  to  witness  the  campaign.  It  was  granted  him,  and 
he  was  soon  with  the  German  army  in  their  march  into 
France.  He  was  received  with  great  courtesy  by  Count 
Bismarck  and  given  every  opportunity  to  view  the  great 
struggle  which  soon  took  place;  he  was  an  interested 
spectator  of  the  battles  of  Beaumont  and  Sedan,  and  saw 
the  first  interview  between  the  French  Emperor  and  Bis- 
marck, which  led  to  the  capitulation  of  the  French  army. 
At  the  battle  of  Gravelotte  the  doughty  “ Little  Phil  ” 
was  returning  alone  from  the  battle-field,  dressed  in  the 
fatigue  uniform  of  the  Union  cause,  when  he  was  mistaken 
for  a Frenchman  by  a group  of  Prussians.  They  levelled 
their  muskets  at  him,  and  for  a moment  the  venturesome 
American  was  in  a critical  situation,  but,  calling  a Ger- 
man officer  forward,  he  soon  explained  his  nationality  and 
was  allowed  to  go  on.  From  the  viewpoint  of  a com- 
petent judge,  the  ex-leader  of  the  Union  Cavalry  was  dis- 
gusted with  the  mistakes  of  the  French  Generals  in  this 
great  struggle,  and  freely  criticized  them  in  his  memoirs; 
attributing  the  German  victories  to  the  splendid  roads 
over  which  the  armies  campaigned ; to  the  open  country ; 
and  to  woeful  lack  of  sense  and  strategy  of  the  French. 

Not  long  after  his  return  to  the  United  States,  the  now 
famous  General  was  sent  to  take  command  of  the  troops 
in  Chicago,  during  the  great  fire  which  destroyed  a con- 
siderable portion  of  the  city.  This  was  his  last  duty  of 
a strenuous  nature;  although  in  1876  he  had  direction 
of  the  cavalry  in  the  Sioux  Campaign  of  Montana  and 


PHIL  SHERIDAN 


357 


Wyoming,  where  Custer  lost  his  life  at  the  Battle  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn.  In  February,  1884,  he  was  created  Lieu- 
tenant-General in  charge  of  all  the  forces  of  the  United 
States;  succeeding  General  Sherman,  who  was  retired 
at  the  age  of  sixty- four.  His  new  duties  required  his 
residence  in  Washington  and  here  he  lived  until  his  death, 
August  5th,  1888,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years. 

Sheridan’s  life  had  been  an  active  one;  he  had  seen 
much  service ; and  he  had  conducted  himself  with  honour 
and  discretion.  Differing  from  General  Grant,  who  was 
a calm,  thoughtful  man;  this  hero  was  quick ; impulsive; 
and  active.  He  entered  upon  every  duty  with  earnestness 
and  intensity ; engaged  in  it  with  unflagging  industry  and 
perseverance  until  it  was  accomplished;  and  this  trait 
did  not  seem  to  lessen  as  he  grew  older.  He  was  not 
ambitious  for  political  preferment;  and  when  a number 
of  admirers  asked  him  to  become  a candidate  for  President 
of  the  United  States,  he  jokingly  remarked : “ No  man 
could  make  me  a present  of  that  office.  The  place-hunters 
and  office-seekers  would  kill  me  in  thirty  days.  I could 
not  stand  it.  I have  never  cared  for  politics.”  He  despised 
councils  of  war  and  had  as  few  as  he  could ; had  the  ability 
to  think  and  act  promptly;  and  so  held  the  affection  and 
respect  of  his  troops;  that  they  would  follow  him  to  the 
last  ditch.  To  his  subordinate  officers  he  was  considerate 
and  just ; and  to  those  wffiose  failures  resulted  from  want 
of  energy  and  effort,  he  was  most  severe ; and  neither 
personal  friendship  nor  previous  good  record  would  pre- 
vent the  consequences  of  a lapse  in  strict  attention  to  duty. 
He  was  an  excellent  shot  and  a skilled  huntsman.  So 
highly  did  the  people  value  his  services,  that  in  June,  1888, 


358  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


when  he  was  sinking  in  his  last  illness;  Congress  by  a 
special  act,  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  General  of  the  Army 
of  the  United  States;  a title  which  had  never  been  con- 
ferred, except  on  Grant  and  Sherman ; and  no  officer  has 
since  received  this  honour. 

Sheridan  was  buried  at  Arlington  — the  military  ceme- 
tery opposite  the  city  of  Washington  — in  a tomb  which 
overlooks  the  curving  Potomac,  as  it  sweeps  lazily  along 
at  the  feet  of  the  high  cliffs.  Here  lie  sixteen  thousand  of 
his  comrades  in  the  great  war  between  the  North  and  the 
South ; and  here  a solid  shaft  of  granite  marks  where  the 
bones  of  the  courageous  warrior  have  been  laid  to  rest. 
His  spirit  hovers  over  the  fields  of  Virginia,  which  echoed 
with  the  shout  of  contending  armies : the  clarion  of  the 
bugle ; the  roll  of  the  drum ; and  the  shock  of  the  bursting 
shell.  He  sleeps  in  soil  which  once  thundered  to  the  hoofs 
of  his  cavalry,  and  where  his  voice  cheered  on  the  Union 
soldiers  to  attack  and  victory.  Peace  at  last  rests  over  the 
remains  of  Philip  Sheridan  — the  brave  and  dashing 
leader  of  light  horse  — his  soul  has  sunk  to  that  slumber 
from  which  there  is  no  awakening. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  A.  CUSTER 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER:  INDIAN 
FIGHTER 


THERE  is  no  more  vigorous  or  gallant  figure  in  the 
history  of  the  civilization  and  development  of  the 
United  States  than  that  of  George  Armstrong 
Custer.  He  was,  by  nature,  a lover  of  all  that  appeals 
to  the  imagination  and  interest  of  every  manly  man.  He 
was  fond  of  horses,  hounds,  and  the  pleasures  of  the 
chase.  As  an  officer  he  was  in  love  with  his  profession 
and  threw  into  his  work  the  zeal  and  fervour  of  a buoyant 
and  courageous  spirit.  Associated  with  the  great  struggle 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  between  the  States  in 
America  and  with  the  onward  march  of  the  white  settlers 
into  the  virgin  country  of  the  West,  his  name  is  linked 
with  two  of  the  greatest  race  conflicts  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  He  knew  the  swamp-land  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy  River  in  Virginia  ; he  had  campaigned  through  the 
beautiful  fields  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley ; he  had  roughed 
it  on  the  wide  plains  of  Texas  when  outlaws  and  desperados 
infested  the  land ; he  had  spent  nights  upon  the  treeless 
wastes  of  alkalai  in  the  far  West ; he  had  passed  through 
every  experience  that  comes  to  an  adventurous  and 
hardy  man-of-action  in  the  United  States,  and  he  went 
down  to  his  death  fighting  under  the  flag  of  his  country 
in  order  that  the  advance  of  the  emigrants  to  the  fertile 
lands  held  by  the  Indians  might  be  secure. 

369 


360  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


During  Custer’s  life  there  were  many  men  who  had 
hard  words  to  say  for  this  dashing  cavalryman  so  prom- 
inently in  the  public  eye.  Enemies  attributed  his  success 
to  luck,  and  “ Custer’s  luck  ” was  an  oft-heard  expres- 
sion among  brother  officers  in  the  army  and  individuals 
in  public  and  civil  life.  Much  of  his  success  was  laid  to 
the  door  of  good-fortune,  for  men  envied  him  his  fame. 
But  his  achievements  were  really  the  result  of  a remark- 
able capacity  for  severe  and  energetic  labour,  and  a 
rapidity  of  forming  estimates  and  plans  which  is  seldom 
found  lacking  in  military  commanders  of  recognized 
merit. 

The  popular  idea  was  that  he  was  a mere  poseur  and 
lover  of  the  picturesque ; that  he  gave  no  careful  attention 
to  his  plans  and  actions.  He  was  associated  in  people’s 
minds  with  men  like  Murat,  who  served  under  Napoleon, 
and  Prince  Rupert : as  a tempestuous  leader  who  was 
carried  onward  by  foolhardy  courage  and  reckless  bravery. 
He  was  lauded  by  the  war  correspondents  who  wished 
to  write  soul-stirring  letters,  and,  as  he  dressed  with  a 
certain,  rakish  carelessness,  he  was  constantly  pictured 
by  artists  on  the  leading  papers.  This  led  to  the  opinion 
that  he  was  only  an  overgrown  boy,  and  a man  of  shallow 
and  injudicious  mind.  Yet  the  history  of  his  life  — as  we 
know  it  to-day  — proves  this  to  be  an  erroneous  concep- 
tion. He  was  certainly  dashing  and  impetuous,  but  his 
actions  were  not  for  effect  alone.  His  life  would  not  have 
been  sacrificed  at  the  Battle  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  had 
not  his  well-made  plans  miscarried  through  the  incom- 
petency of  subordinates,  and  had  certain  officers  in  his 
command  laboured  with  half  his  zeal  and  bravery. 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  361 


Although  the  Colonists  who  fought  so  nobly  for  America 
Independence  had  nothing  but  the  harshest  words  for 
the  Hessian  Soldiers  who  had  hired  themselves  to  the 
British  Government ; the  father  of  General  Custer  was  a 
direct  descendant  of  one  of  these  self-same  Hessian 
grenadiers.  In  1778;  General  Burgoyne  had  ignomin- 
iously  surrendered  to  the  Americans  at  Saratoga,  many 
of  the  Hessians,  who  had  been  captured,  were  paroled 
and  set  at  liberty.  x\mong  them  was  a soldier  by  the  name 
of  Kiister  who  had  settled  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania; 
married  the  bright  eyed  daughter  of  a frontiersman,  and 
afterwards  had  moved  to  New  Rumly,  Ohio.  There  he 
turned  farmer  and  was  twice  married.  George  Arm- 
strong Custer  was  the  eldest  child  by  this  hardy  frontiers- 
man’s second  wife.  He  was  born  December  fifth,  1839, 
and  had  one  sister  and  three  brothers ; two  of  whom  — 
Thomas  and  Boston  — subsequently  served  with  him 
in  the  United  States  service.  The  early  life  of  the  future 
leader  of  cavalry  was  spent  upon  his  father’s  farm,  and 
here  he  not  only  obtained  the  health  and  strength  that 
come  with  country  life,  but  also  he  learned  to  be  a manly 
and  hard-working  boy. 

Every  account  that  we  have  of  General  Custer  shows 
him  to  have  been  a youth  of  overabundant  health  and 
animal  spirits.  He  was  sturdy,  flaxen-haired,  and  always 
in  mischief.  Not  a single  instance  of  the  display  of  ill- 
temper  during  his  boyhood  has  been  recorded,  and  his 
loving  and  gentle  disposition  has  been  commented  upon 
by  all  who  knew  him  at  this  period  of  his  life.  As  a matter 
of  course  he  was  sent  to  the  District  School,  and  together 
with  other  rollicking  youngsters,  learned  those  three  great 


362  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 

trials  of  early  boyhood,  — reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic. We  hear  that,  as  a scholar  he  was  bright  enough 
and  intelligent,  but,  like  many  another  boy  we  know, 
hated  to  study.  An  old  schoolmate  of  his  says  that  he 
never  looked  at  a lesson  when  away  from  school,  but 
would  skim  over  his  work  in  the  few  moments  before 
the  recitation  period,  and  trust  to  his  quick  memory  to 
successfully  pilot  him  through  the  dreadful  hour. 

Custer  was  a great  lover  of  novels  and  would  smuggle 
many  a thrilling  tale  into  the  school-room,  carefully 
hidden  among  his  other  books.  During  the  geography- 
hour  he  would  leave  his  book  wide  open  and  beneath  it 
would  place  an  interesting  novel  of  military  life  — also 
wide  open.  The  teacher  of  the  District  School  was  named 
Stebbins  — known  as  “ Old  Stebbins  ” by  the  boys  — 
and  with  a pair  of  felt  slippers  to  deaden  his  footsteps, 
he  would  creep  cautiously  and  noiselessly  around  the 
room.  Should  he  discover  any  pupil  with  eyes  and  mind 
not  intent  upon  his  task,  down  would  pounce  the  sly,  old 
fellow,  and  the  truant  would  receive  a goodly  spanking. 
But  foxy  as  was  “ Old  Stebbins,”  he  met  his  match  in 
the  mischievous  Custer,  for,  as  he  would  glide  stealthily 
about,  he  would  find  his  youthful  charge  busily  engaged 
in  tracing  the  course  of  some  river  or  chain  of  mountains, 
with  his  forefinger,  in  the  Geography.  With  a smile  of 
satisfaction  to  see  such  a diligent  pupil,  “ Old  Stebbins  ” 
would  pass  on,  but  no  sooner  was  his  back  turned,  than 
with  the  quickness  of  an  Indian  — up  would  be  lifted 
the  end  of  the  book  of  Geography,  and  soon  young  Custer 
would  be  deep  in  the  stirring  scenes  of  war  and  adven- 
ture in  the  hidden  novel,  beneath.  He  was  never  caught. 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  363 


As  one  would  expect  from  a boy  who  loved  tales  of 
spirited  adventure,  Custer  was  very  fond  of  rough-and- 
tumble  games.  He  was  a fine  wrestler  and  swift  runner. 
He  delighted  in  practical  jokes  and  was  always  in  the 
midst  of  some  dangerous  undertaking,  such  as  robbing 
a hawk’s  nest  in  a lofty  tree,  or  making  a moonlight  raid 
upon  the  melon  patch  of  some  crusty  farmer.  Although 
he  became  the  leader  of  most  athletic  sports,  he  could 
not  and  would  not  learn  to  swim.  He  disliked  the  water 
and  would  not  even  try  to  sail  a boat;  for  the  land,  and 
things  on  the  land  alone,  appealed  to  him.  Of  great  ten- 
derness of  feeling,  he  was  much  beloved  by  his  mother  on 
account  of  his  kindness  and  willingness  to  obey  her  every 
wish.  A sturdy  boy  was  this  future  fighter  of  Indians; 
kind,  devoted  to  his  father  and  mother;  working  at  his 
books  only  by  fits  and  starts ; very  obstinate  when  treated 
harshly;  always  ready  to  meet  the  shrewd  tricks  of  his 
schoolmaster  with  those  still  more  shrewd ; and  a leader 
in  every  branch  of  sport  that  called  for  an  exhibition  of 
fortitude  and  courage.  The  man  was  to  retain  these 
same  qualities  to  a marked  degree. 

Even  during  his  boyhood  Custer  seems  to  have  had  a 
longing  for  a military  life,  although  at  sixteen  years  of  age 
he  began  to  teach  school  in  order  to  help  out  the  meagre 
finances  of  his  family.  Soon  the  opportunity  offered 
itself  for  securing  an  appointment  to  West  Point,  and 
through  the  kind  assistance  of  the  member  of  Congress 
from  his  district,  he  entered  the  Academy,  as  a cadet,  in 
1857.  Curiously  enough  the  official  notification  of  his 
appointment  was  signed  by  one  against  whom  he  was 
soon  to  take  up  arms,  — Jefferson  Davis : President 


364  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Buchanan’s  Secretary  of  War,  and  afterwards  Presi- 
dent of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  His  career  as  a 
cadet  was  not  marked  by  any  brilliant  achievement.  It 
is  on  record  that  he  spent  sixty-six  Saturdays  in  doing 
extra  guard  duty  in  punishment  for  various  offences 
against  discipline,  and,  when  the  time  for  graduation 
arrived,  it  was  found  that  he  had  received  lower  marks 
than  any  other  member  of  the  class.  His  term  at  the 
Academy  certainly  ended  inauspiciously,  for,  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War,  he  was  under  sentence  for  pun- 
ishment and  was  to  be  tried  by  Court  Martial. 

The  manner  in  which  he  had  come  to  grief  was  as  char- 
acteristic as  it  was  reprehensible.  As  officer  of  the  guard, 
he  was  one  day  making  the  rounds  of  inspection,  and 
came  across  two  cadets  who  had  fallen  out  and  were 
angrily  talking.  From  words,  they  soon  came  to  blows, 
and  had  begun  to  have  a preliminary,  sparring  match. 
A crowd  collected  and  a few  endeavoured  to  stop  the 
fighting.  It  was  plainly  Custer’s  duty,  as  officer  of  the 
guard,  to  arrest  the  two  angry  cadets.  But  instead  of 
doing  this,  he  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and, 
seizing  one  of  those  who  was  endeavouring  to  put  an  end 
to  the  bout,  called  out : 

“ Stand  back,  boys ! Let’s  have  a fair  fight ! ” 

This  remark  was  heard  by  Lieutenants  Hazen  and  Mer- 
ritt — both  of  whom  were  afterwards  associated  with 
him  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  — and  he  was  imme- 
diately placed  under  arrest  for  breach  of  discipline.  Thus 
he  was  kept  at  West  Point  while  all  the  other  members 
of  his  class  — except  those  who  had  resigned  to  join  the 
Southern  army  — were  sent  to  Washington  in  order  to 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  365 


take  positions  of  responsibility  in  the  force  gathered  to 
the  defence  of  the  Northern  states.  To  Washington 
he  was  summoned  — only  after  the  intervention  of  his 
friends  — and  it  was  certainly  a rapid  change  for  the 
prisoner  of  West  Point,  when,  in  three  days’  time,  he 
found  himself  commissioned  a Second  Lieutenant  in  the 
army  under  General  McDowell  (then  near  Centreville, 
Virginia)  and  riding  from  Washington  with  dispatches 
for  the  General  in  Command.  These  he  carried  safely 
to  the  Northern  Army  arriving  just  in  time  to  participate 
in  the  First  Battle  of  Bull  Run.  Here  the  Union  cavalry 
had  little  part,  and,  although  not  active  in  the  actual 
fighting  of  that  day;  in  the  rush  and  the  melee  of  the 
frantic  retreat  that  followed;  Custer’s  company  was  one 
of  the  last  to  retire. 

In  the  four  years  of  conflict  that  followed  the  first  clash 
of  arms  near  the  slow-moving  and  muddy  water  of  Bull 
Run,  Custer  conducted  himself  with  great  bravery  and 
distinction.  Although  his  name  is  prominent  in  this 
great  war,  it  is  rather  with  the  frontier  and  with  the  ad- 
vance of  the  white  settlers  into  the  West,  that  we  associate 
him.  But  his  record  during  the  Civil  War  is  one  that 
alone  would  have  made  him  distinguished,  for  here  it 
was  that  he  made  a great  reputation  as  a daring  but 
somewhat  reckless  horseman.  Like  “ Jeb  ” Stuart,  the 
Southern  leader  of  cavalry,  it  was  his  delight  to  dress  in 
gay  colours.  A great,  red  scarf  was  usually  wound  about 
his  deck;  he  wore  a broad,  felt  hat  beneath  which  his 
yellow  hair  hung  down  upon  his  shoulders;  his  uniform 
was  frequently  adorned  by  a prodigious  amount  of  gold 
braid ; and  once  he  was  rash  enough  to  wear  a red  flannel 


366  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


shirt.  No  one  was  more  impetuous  than  he  in  the  charge, 
and,  although  he  risked  himself  with  perfect  abandon 
in  every  engagement,  he  seemed  to  bear  a charmed  life, 
for  no  bullet  ever  harmed  him. 

Transferred  to  Grant’s  army  in  the  last  year  of  the 
war,  Custer  was  with  Sheridan  at  Five  Forks  and  was 
active  in  the  pursuit  of  Lee’s  army  to  Appomattox.  He 
was  present  at  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  forces, 
and,  with  his  devoted  followers,  was  allowed  to  partici- 
pate in  the  grand  review  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on 
the  23rd  and  24th  of  May,  1865,  in  the  city  of  Washington. 
It  was  a proud  moment  for  the  Boy  General  when,  with 
the  Third  Division  of  Cavalry,  he  passed  the  Grand 
Stand ; for  in  six  months,  he  and  his  command  had  taken 
one  hundred  and  eleven  Confederate  cannon,  sixty-five 
battle  flags,  and  over  ten  thousand  prisoners  of  -war; 
while  not  one  of  their  own  flags  had  been  captured,  nor 
had  a single  gun  fallen  permanently  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy. 

An  incident  which  occurred  on  the  afternoon  of  that 
day  will  illustrate  the  great  regard  with  which  General 
Custer  was  held  by  his  soldiers.  The  Third  Cavalry 
Division  had  camped  on  the  outskirts  of  Washington, 
where  the  troopers  were  drawn  up  in  a proper  alignment  in 
order  to  take  a last  farewell  of  their  flaxen-haired  Com- 
mander, and  his  staff.  In  him  they  had  perfect  confidence. 
He  had  led  them  to  victory  in  many  a hard  fought  con- 
test, he  had  cared  for  them  in  adversity  and  he  had  cheered 
them  on  in  time  of  victory.  Often  he  had  risked  him- 
self in  the  charge  at  their  head,  and  there  was  no  danger 
and  privation  they  had  endured  of  which  he  had  not  had 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  367 


his  share.  No  wonder,  then,  that  as  he  rode  down  the 
line  of  veteran  troops,  he  was  greeted  with  a great  cheer 
of  enthusiastic  approbation.  Before  the  hurrahing  was  fin- 
ished a fresh  voice  shouted  out : “ A tiger  for  Old  Curley  ! ” 
The  cheer  that  arose  was  so  loud  that  the  spirited  steed 
which  the  General  rode  became  excited  and  almost  un- 
manageable, while  the  commander  of  this  splendid  body 
of  horse  tried  ineffectually  to  check  the  tears  that  welled 
to  his  eyes.  The  Officers  then  gathered  around  their 
leader  and  sorrowfully  wrung  his  hand,  while  again  the 
troopers  sent  up  a cheer,  this  time  for  the  wife  of  General 
Custer.  He  had  married  her  during  the  winter  that  pre- 
ceded the  surrender  of  Lee’s  army  and  she  had  devotedly 
followed  him  through  the  closing  campaign  of  the 
war. 

Although  the  battles  were  now  at  an  end  and  the 
Northern  soldiers,  who  had  returned  to  their  homes, 
were  receiving  every  honour  which  the  grateful  citizens 
could  confer  upon  them,  there  was  to  be  no  rest  for  the 
leader  of  the  disbanded  Third  Division  of  Cavalry.  The 
Powers  of  Europe  had  looked  with  envious  eyes  at  the 
growing  might  of  the  new  Republic  across  the  seas,  for, 
hoping  to  build  up  a rival  country  to  the  south  of  the  re- 
united states,  they  had  placed  an  Austrian  Prince,  Max- 
imilian of  name,  upon  the  throne  of  Mexico.  It  was 
agreed  that  this  country  should  be  ceded  to  France  in 
order  that  a competing  power  might  counterbalance 
the  might  of  the  United  States  in  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
So  Custer  was  ordered  to  Texas,  at  once,  where  he  was 
placed  in  command  of  a large  force  of  cavalry,  whose 
presence  was  sufficient  warning  to  Maximilian  to  keep 


368  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


his  hands  off  the  southern  boundary  of  the  United  States, 
or  else  to  expect  war.  Here  Custer’s  duties  were  light 
and  rough  pleasures  were  many.  The  planters  were  fond 
of  hunting  and  many  a good  day’s  sport  was  shared  by  the 
young  officer  and  his  friendly  neighbours,  in  coursing 
jack-rabbits  and  deer  with  huge,  shaggy,  stag-hounds. 
These  were  bred  for  hunting  in  that  sparsely  settled 
country,  where  there  was  an  abundance  of  game  to  try 
the  skill  of  both  horseman  and  hound. 

The  anticipated  trouble  with  Mexico  was  soon  over. 
The  civil  authorities  in  the  great  State  of  Texas  began 
to  be  perfectly  able  to  carry  out  the  laws  of  the  land  with 
justice  and  lack  of  friction,  so  it  was  considered  unwise 
to  keep  such  a large  force  of  cavalry  in  the  State.  General 
Custer  was  therefore  ordered  north,  and,  after  a few 
months  of  idleness  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel 
of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  stationed  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas, 
then  a frontier  post  within  ten  miles  of  the  Kansas  Pacific 
Railroad,  which  was  being  constructed  as  far  as  Denver, 
Colorado.  It  was  to  be  the  duty  of  the  General  and  his 
troopers  to  guard  the  engineers  from  attacks  of  Indians 
while  laying  the  road-bed  of  the  steel  rails  which  were 
to  stretch  as  far  as  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  ultimately 
to  the  Pacific  coast. 

This  was  in  October,  1866.  Certainly  the  wheel  of 
fortune  had  turned  swiftly  with  this  youthful  leader  of 
cavalry.  Already,  when  still  under  thirty  years  of  age, 
he  had  witnessed  the  sanguinary  and  bloody  fighting  in 
the  great  Civil  War  in  America : he  had  been  present  at 
more  fatal  engagements  than  most  men  of  his  age : he 
had  escaped  injury  by  many  a hair-breadth,  and  now  he 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  369 


was  to  enter  a life  of  incessant  danger,  a life  more  exacting, 
and  filled  with  far  greater  peril  than  these  earlier  years. 
The  West  was  then  a wild  land  into  which  few  settlers 
had  penetrated.  Savage  bands  of  Indians  ranged  over 
the  prairie  lands  of  the  central  portion  of  the  United 
States.  They  were  rich  in  ponies  and  buffalo  robes  and 
hated  the  white  settlers  who  came  to  spoil  them  of  what 
they  considered  to  be  their  rightful  hunting  grounds. 
The  buffalo  ranged  upon  the  prairie  in  enormous  herds. 
According  to  the  statement  of  competent  authorities, 
there  were  over  ten  millions  which  wandered  as  far  north 
as  the  Dakotas  and  Montana  in  summer,  and  in  winter, 
as  far  south  as  Texas.  All  the  wide  prairie-land  of  Kansas, 
Nebraska  and  Colorado  was  covered  with  traces  of  the 
American  bison.  Their  trails  — or  ruts  — made  by 
thousands  of  their  number  walking  behind  one  another 
in  single  file,  crossed  the  prairies  in  every  direction.  Wher- 
ever water  was  to  be  found  these  trails  (often  so  deep  that 
a rider  had  to  jump  his  horse  in  order  to  get  across)  led 
away  for  miles  on  every  side.  The  white  and  bleached 
skulls  of  dead  buffalo  covered  the  plain,  for  the  wolves 
and  skin-hunters  made  great  havoc  among  their  numbers, 
and,  as  the  railroad  advanced  and  white  settlers  poured 
in  upon  the  land  to  take  up  dwellings,  the  lumbering 
beasts  were  slaughtered  by  the  thousands.  They  were 
essentially  made  for  a time  when  the  ruder  arts  of  the 
Indian  tribes  held  sway  over  America  and  before  the 
plough  and  the  rifle  brought  Eastern  civilization  to  the 
fertile  plains.  From  the  buffalo  the  Sioux,  the  Cheyennes 
and  the  other  Indian  tribes  made  their  dress  and  the  cov- 
erings for  their  tepees.  Their  flesh  was  the  Indians’ 


370  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


food,  their  bones  furnished  him  with  household  utensils, 
and  their  skin  was  his  covering  from  the  elements. 

To  a man  as  full  of  life  and  exuberant  health  as  Custer, 
the  wild  life  on  the  plains  was  most  enjoyable.  The  wide 
sweep  of  the  prairie,  the  strange  beasts  and  birds  with 
which  the  land  was  populated,  and  the  constant  danger 
from  attacks  of  hostile  Indians  was  sufficient  to  keep  a 
person  of  his  wardike  and  dangerdoving  temperment  con- 
tinually on  his  mettle.  At  the  post  were  his  stag-hounds 
and  grey  hounds  used  for  coursing  coyotes  and  jack- 
rabbits,  a sport  which  both  he  and  his  officers  greatly  en- 
joyed when  not  engaged  in  active  operations  against  the 
unfriendly  savages.  There  were  many  bands  of  elk  and 
antelope  upon  the  prairie,  and  these  — with  the  wild 
buffalo  — furnished  ample  sport  for  the  rifle.  Custer 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  hunting,  and,  although  seemingly 
brutal  and  fond  of  the  dangers  incident  to  a warlike  and 
sporting  life,  the  following  incident  bears  ample  testimony 
to  the  kindly  spirit  that  shone  beneath  the  apparently 
hardened  exterior  of  the  General.  One  day,  when  riding  at 
the  head  of  the  column,  he  saw  the  nest  of  a meadow-lark 
with  the  small  nestlings  inside,  hidden  below  him  in  the 
grass.  Without  a word  of  comment,  or  without  giving  a 
single  command  to  those  about  him,  he  carefully  guided 
his  horse  around  the  brood  and  again  resumed  the  straight 
path  of  the  march.  There  were  several  hundred  cavalry- 
men in  the  command,  and  when  each  detachment  came  to 
the  place  where  their  general  had  swerved,  the  soldiers 
made  a detour,  for,  looking  upon  the  ground,  the  troopers 
saw  the  reason  for  their  leader’s  action.  It  was  no  wonder 
that  the  men  loved  this  courageous  and  tender-hearted 
chieftain. 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  371 


During  the  five  years  that  followed  General  Custer’s  ap- 
pointment to  the  command  of  troops  in  the  West,  he  was 
many  times  engaged  in  fights  with  the  Indians,  in  all  of 
which  he  came  off  victorious.  His  greatest  battle  was 
that  fought  at  the  Washita  River,  near  Antelope  Hills, 
in  the  Indian  Territory,  on  November  27th,  1868,  against 
the  combined  fighting  men  of  the  Cheyenne,  Kiowa,  and 
Arapahoe  tribes.  Satana,  Black  Kettle,  and  Little  Raven, 
the  Indian  leaders  — had  been  instrumental  in  stirring 
up  their  followers  to  commit  outrages  against  the  white 
settlers  of  Kansas.  They  had  made  many  depredations, 
burned  many  homes,  and  murdered  a great  number  of 
women  and  children.  To  punish  them,  a winter  campaign 
against  the  hostiles  was  commenced  early  in  November, 
1868,  in  which  Custer,  with  his  “ Fighting  Seventh,”  was 
attached  to  General  Sheridan’s  command.  With  a con- 
siderable body  of  infantry  and  a large  amount  of  supplies, 
Sheridan  marched  to  the  borders  of  the  country  ravaged  by 
the  Indians  and  established  a post  which  he  named  Camp 
Supply.  In  the  midst  of  a severe  storm,  orders  were  issued 
to  Custer  to  move  against  the  Indians  at  five  o’clock  in 
the  morning.  It  was  the  twenty-seventh  of  November, 
and,  as  the  Seventh  Cavalry  cheerfully  turned  out  in  the 
early  morn,  General  Sheridan  — who  was  to  remain  be- 
hind with  the  infantry  and  wagons  - — called  out  to  Gen- 
eral Custer  and  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the  snow 
and  the  storm.  “ It’s  all  the  better  for  us,”  said  Custer, 
cheerily.  “ We  can  move  in  it,  and  the  Indians  cannot.” 
So  leaving  all  superfluous  baggage  and  ammunition  be- 
hind, the  half-frozen  band  of  nine  hundred  men  started 
out  in  a blinding  snowstorm  to  find  the  Indians  and  attack 


372  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


them  before  they  were  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  United 
States  soldiers.  All  day  they  floundered  through  the 
snow,  and  at  night-fall,  made  camp  in  some  timber  near 
the  bed  of  a creek.  The  officers  and  men  scraped  away 
holes  in  the  snow  in  which  to  sleep.  They  dined  on  the 
carcass  of  a half  frozen  buffalo  which  they  had  discovered 
hidden  in  a clump  of  bushes  near  the  spot,  and,  stumbling 
across  the  quicksands  of  a river,  found  the  Indian  trail  on 
the  other  side.  The  few  wagons  that  the  soldiers  had  with 
them  were  ordered  to  remain  here,  and  only  such  rations 
and  forage  that  could  be  carried  was  taken  along ; includ- 
ing one  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition  for  each  trooper. 

Guided  by  two  trusty  Indian  scouts,  next  day,  the  sol- 
diers floundered  through  the  heavy  snow,  and,  as  every 
mile  was  passed,  the  Indian  sign  became  more  plain. 
By  hiding  under  the  banks  of  a stream,  fires  were  lighted 
which  could  not  be  seen  by  the  hostiles,  and  here  the 
troopers  spent  a cold  and  comfortless,  second  night. 
But  next  day  the  ashes  of  an  Indian  fire  were  discovered, 
and,  shortly  afterwards,  one  of  the  scouts  — who  was 
well  in  the  front  — heard  the  bark  of  a dog.  Then  through 
the  drifting  snow  came  the  cry  of  a small,  Indian  child 
and  they  knew  that  the  Indian  camp  was  near.  The 
command  crept  stealthily  onward  and  that  night  the  sol- 
diers posted  themselves  silently  in  a circle  around  the 
village,  where  they  snatched  a few  moments  of  slumber 
in  the  snow.  At  dawn  the  band  struck  up  Custer’s  fa- 
vourite tune,  “ Garry  O Wan,”  and,  with  a cheer,  the  sol- 
diers dashed  in  upon  the  sleeping  village.  The  Indians 
were  taken  completely  by  surprise.  The  warriors  fled  to 
the  woods  where  they  defended  themselves  with  great 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  373 


stubbornness  and  courage  behind  trees,  logs,  and  the  banks 
of  a stream.  Many  of  the  squaws  and  children  fought 
like  the  warriors,  and,  running  in  and  out  between  the 
tepees,  fired  with  deliberate  aim  from  the  openings  in  the 
wigwams.  While  the  fighting  was  going  on,  some  gath- 
ered in  groups  and  sang  dirges  with  a slow,  monotonous 
wail,  for  they  were  sure  that  their  last  hour  had  come. 

But  resistance  was  useless.  The  village ; fifty  squaws  and 
children  that  had  remained  in  the  lodge  during  the  fight; 
and  eight  hundred  horses;  were  captured.  After  they 
had  been  secured  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  burn  the 
village  and  shoot  all  the  ponies  except  those  which  were 
absolutely  needed  for  the  captives  to  ride  on,  and,  as  it 
was  Custer’s  wish  to  cripple  the  Savages  as  far  as  he  was 
able,  fire  was  applied  to  the  tepees.  But  before  they  were 
entirely  consumed,  the  soldiers  were  furiously  attacked 
by  a band  of  Cheyennes  from  a village  near-by.  They 
stood  these  off  handsomely,  and  next  morning  made  a feint 
to  the  rear  of  this  fresh  enemy  which  was  most  successful, 
for,  believing  that  they  were  to  be  surrounded,  the  Chey- 
ennes fled  and  the  victorious  Seventh  Cavalry  marched 
back  unmolested  to  their  joyful  comrades  at  Camp  Sup- 
ply. Thus  ended  the  battle  of  the  Washita,  one  of  the 
bravest  and  most  daring  fights  in  the  history  of  Indian 
warfare  and  a credit  to  the  courageous  soldiers  who  wore 
the  blue  uniform  of  the  Government  service.  It  was  by 
far  the  most  vigorous  blow  struck  against  the  Indians  of 
the  south-western  frontier  and  was  of  such  beneficial 
effect,  that  the  Cheyennes  and  allied  tribes  looked  upon 
the  white  man  in  a new  light.  Never  again  did  they  show 
the  same  warlike  disposition  towards  the  settlers  of  their 
hunting  grounds. 


374  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


The  Seventh  Cavalrymen  remained  on  the  Kansas 
frontier  for  five  years  and  were  frequently  engaged  in 
small  conflicts  with  the  Indians,  who  now  seemed  to  be 
well  frightened  by  the  summary  punishment  that  had 
been  inflicted  upon  them.  After  a portion  of  ground  had 
been  allotted  to  these  savages  for  a reservation,  they  took 
up  a life  of  a semi-civilization  without  causing  any  further 
disturbance  of  a serious  nature.  So  quiet  were  they  that 
Custer  was  ordered  to  Kentucky  for  two  years,  where  he 
spent  some  time  in  writing  a series  of  articles  about  his 
experiences,  for  an  Eastern  magazine.  In  the  spring  of 
1873  he  was  billeted  to  Dakota  and  again  put  in  command 
of  the  Seventh  Cavalry.  This  was  joyful  news  to  him, 
for  the  true  cavalryman  feels  that  his  life  should  be  in  the 
open  and  in  constant  action,  and  he  was  restless  under 
the  restraint  of  barrack-duty,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  con- 
stantly with  him  was  his  devoted  wife,  who  shared  the 
privations,  hardships,  and  rough  pleasures  of  a frontier  ex- 
istence. To  her  we  are  indebted  for  a most  truthful 
picture  of  the  life  of  a cavalry  regiment  in  camp  and  in 
active  service.  A series  of  volumes  from  her  pen  will  ever 
remain  to  posterity  as  a truthful  picture  of  the  perils  and 
suffering  that  had  to  be  endured  before  the  middle  V est 
was  safe  for  civilized  people.  To  a man,  the  officers  who 
served  under  General  Custer  (now  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
but  always  spoken  of  with  the  brevet  title  conferred  upon 
him  in  the  Civil  War)  admired  and  respected  her.  She 
did  much  to  attach  the  soldiers  of  her  husband’s  command 
to  him,  and  to  inspire  them  with  that  esprit-de-corps, 
without  which,  no  body  of  troops,  no  citizen,  or  nation, 
can  properly  fight  the  battles  of  civilization. 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  375 


In  May  the  Seventh  Cavalry  was  encamped  at  Fort  Rice 
far  up  the  Missouri  River  in  North  Dakota.  Here  it  was 
joined  by  other  detachments,  until  a body  of  sufficient 
strength  was  assembled  to  escort  and  protect  the  engi- 
neers and  surveyors  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  who 
were  spanning  the  Continent  with  a line  parallel  to  the 
Union  Pacific  in  the  centre  of  the  United  States.  Curi- 
ously enough  among  the  members  of  this  surveying  party 
was  a General  Rosser,  who  had  fought  against  Custer 
years  before  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of  Virginia.  Rosser 
had  been  in  the  same  class  with  Custer  at  West  Point  and 
had  resigned  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  to  join  the  Con- 
federate Army.  He  and  the  Boy  General  had  often  got 
possession  of  each  other’s  wagons  and  private  baggage  in 
the  varying  fortunes  of  war.  In  fact  so  frequently  did  these 
two  soldiers  meet  in  the  campaigns  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  that  they  became  accustomed  to  write  short  notes 
to  one  another.  These  they  would  leave  at  the  house  of 
some  Southern  farmer  along  the  road  of  march.  “ Dear 
Friend,”  one  would  write,  “ You  made  my  boys  hustle 
to-day,  but  wait  until  next  week  and  I will  square  up  the 
account.  Please  give  my  best  wishes  to  your  sharp- 
shooters for  putting  a ball  through  my  hat.”  Once  Custer 
captured  Rosser’s  coat.  He  left  a note  for  him  in  an  apple 
tree  which  read,  “ Direct  your  tailor  to  make  your  coat- 
tails shorter,  next  time,  for  they  get  in  my  way  when  I 
gallop  my  horse.”  Yet  here,  in  the  far  West,  the  old  ene- 
mies met  again  and  talked  over  the  Valley  campaigns 
with  great  enjoyment  and  friendly  interest. 

The  march  of  the  Yellowstone  Expedition  was  west- 
ward, up  the  valley  of  the  river.  As  the  country  was  so 


376  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


rough  and  hilly  that  it  afforded  full  protection  to  hostile 
Indians,  Custer  would  go  ahead  of  the  surveying  column 
with  a small  detachment  of  cavalry,  in  order  to  fight  off 
any  foes,  and  in  the  endeavour  to  find  the  most  suitable 
road  for  the  train.  The  land  was  wild,  picturesque,  and 
the  air  dry  and  stimulating.  Bands  of  antelope  were  fre- 
quently encountered  as  they  grazed  upon  the  sweet  grass 
in  the  valleys,  and  now  again  the  tracks  of  bear,  elk,  and 
buffalo  were  seen.  All  progressed  in  a favourable  manner 
until  August  4th,  when  Custer  and  an  advance  party  of  a 
hundred  men  were  fired  upon  by  a small  band  of  Indians 
after  they  had  stopped  at  a grove  of  trees,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tongue  River.  The  savages  had  first  endeavoured 
to  stampede  the  horses  which  were  grazing  on  the  prairie 
near-by,  but  their  designs  were  frustrated  by  two  troopers 
who  rode  out  in  time  to  drive  the  animals  towards  the 
grove  of  trees ; well  out  of  harm’s  way. 

With  twenty  men  Custer  now  made  a charge  upon  the 
hostiles,  who  speedily  retreated  and  rode  beyond  range  of 
the  well-directed  rifle  shots.  Thus  a running  fight  was 
kept  up  for  about  two-and-a-half  miles,  when  the  Indians 
halted  behind  an  embankment,  and  awaited  the  advance 
of  the  rest  of  the  command.  Custer  led  his  men  on  with  a 
cheer,  when  suddenly,  three  hundred  mounted  savages  — - 
who  had  been  hidden  in  a thick  wood  — rode  out  into  view 
and  began  to  circle  around  the  small  bunch  of  cavalry- 
men, shouting  their  war  cries  and  discharging  their  rifles 
from  the  backs  of  their  small  ponies.  Custer’s  men  dis- 
mounted immediately  and  gave  the  Indians  several  volleys 
from  their  carbines.  The  fire  was  too  hot  for  the  savages, 
who  retreated  into  the  woods,  while  the  United  States 
cavalrymen  anxiously  awaited  reinforcements. 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  377 


Soon  the  rest  of  the  party  came  up,  and,  as  the  ground 
upon  which  they  stood  was  decidedly  unfavourable  for 
fighting,  Custer  ordered  a retreat  into  the  woods  near  the 
Tongue  River.  Here  the  horses  were  hidden  in  the  dense 
cover,  while  the  troopers  formed  a semi-circular  line 
around  them,  utilizing  a natural  hillock  as  a breast-work 
and  fortifying  it  with  fallen  trees  and  bushes.  The  Indians 
came  up  with  much  courage,  but  several  of  their  numbers 
were  killed.  They  apparently  did  not  relish  the  position 
of  their  foe  and  retired  to  a safe  distance,  where  the  grass 
was  set  on  fire  in  order  to  burn  out  the  troops;  but  for- 
tunately the  underbrush  was  too  green  to  get  alight,  and 
their  design  was  unsuccessful.  Shortly  afterwards  the 
main  column  arrived.  With  fresh  horses  and  a larger  force, 
Custer  now  led  a charge  upon  the  Indians,  who  recognized 
the  inequality  of  the  contest  and  galloped  away.  They 
were  hotly  pursued  for  miles,  but  their  superior  knowledge 
of  the  country  enabled  them  to  escape  capture. 

There  were  two  citizens  attached  to  this  expedition  who 
were  allowed  much  greater  liberty  than  the  soldiers,  for 
they  were  not  enlisted  men.  It  was  their  custom  to  ride 
much  alone.  Again  and  again  they  were  warned  that 
some  day  they  would  come  dangerously  near  being  killed 
and  scalped  if  they  thus  recklessly  exposed  themselves. 
One  was  the  Veterinary  Surgeon  and  the  other  the  Sutler, 
and,  as  had  been  prophesied,  when  well  in  advance  of  the 
column,  one  day,  and  while  stopping  to  water  their  horses ; 
they  were  shot  at  by  some  Indians  concealed  in  a gully. 
The  Sutler’s  horse  was  pierced  by  a well-directed  bullet 
and  carried  him  some  distance  before  he  fell  to  the  ground, 
where  he  pinned  his  rider  in  such  a position  that  he  could 


378  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


not  get  up.  He  was  not  quite  dead  when  a cruel  savage, 
called  Rain-in-the-Face,  galloped  up  to  him  and  beat  out 
his  last  breath  with  a stone  mallet.  The  Indian  then  shot 
his  body  full  of  arrows  and  rode  over  to  the  Surgeon,  who 
had  hidden  in  some  bushes,  and  who  held  up  his  hands, 
indicating  that  he  wished  peace.  As  Rain-in-the-Face 
rode  up  to  him,  the  young  man  gave  his  hat  to  the  Savage, 
as  a token  of  submission.  But  the  relentless  Indian  paid 
no  attention  to  this,  but  shot  him  with  his  rifle  and  pierced 
his  dead  body  with  arrows. 

A week  after  this  horrible  affair  a large  Indian  trail  was 
discovered,  which  led  up  the  Yellowstone  River.  Anxious 
to  wreak  summary  vengeance  on  the  Indians,  Custer 
started  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  war-like  Sioux  and  followed 
their  tracks,  which  led  to  the  Big  Horn  River,  and  there 
crossed  to  the  opposite  bank,  where  the  Indians  had 
made  camp.  The  river  was  too  deep  for  fording,  so  Cus- 
ter was  forced  to  remain  upon  his  own  side  of  the  water- 
course during  the  night.  In  the  morning  the  Sioux  could 
be  seen  preparing  for  battle.  Their  leader,  Sitting  Bull, 
was  not  at  all  afraid  of  the  white  soldiers,  and  crossed 
the  river  with  five  hundred  warriors  in  canoes  to  strike 
the  hostile  column ; while  the  squaws  and  children  climbed 
upon  the  high  bluffs  to  see  the  complete  triumph  of  their 
fathers,  brothers,  and  husbands.  They  expected  to  an- 
nihilate the  white  men. 

A skirmish  was  carried  on  for  some  time,  which  held 
the  Indians  in  check,  in  spite  of  their  superiority  in  num- 
bers. Custer  finally  ordered  his  men  to  charge,  and,  as 
they  galloped  forward,  the  Sioux  fled  precipitously  to  the 
river.  Custer’s  horse  was  shot  under  him  and  four  troopers 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  379 


were  killed,  which  bore  evidence  of  the  poor  marksman- 
ship of  the  braves.  These,  for  the  most  part,  escaped  to 
their  own  camp  and  made  off,  but,  their  losses  in  dead 
and  wounded  were  considerable ; so  considerable,  in  fact, 
that  they  were  frightened  into  peace  and  no  longer  mo- 
lested the  advancing  whites.  The  expedition  continued 
on  its  way ; made  a rough  map  of  the  country ; and  then 
returned  to  Fort  Rice,  where  General  Custer  found  an 
order  assigning  him  to  the  command  of  Fort  Lincoln,  on 
the  Missouri  River,  opposite  the  town  of  Bismarck,  North 
Dakota. 

There  was  very  little  active  campaigning  with  the 
Indians  during  the  next  year.  In  the  summer  of  1874  the 
Seventh  Cavalry  formed  a portion  of  a column  of  twelve 
hundred  troops  that  escorted  a corps  of  Scientists  into  the 
Black  Hills,  Dakota.  This  was  then  an  unexplored  coun- 
try and  thought  to  be  far  richer  in  silver  and  gold  than 
has  since  been  discovered.  The  Indians  did  not  molest 
the  troops,  and,  after  a considerable  part  of  these  wilds 
had  been  explored  and  mapped,  the  Expedition  returned 
to  Fort  Lincoln. 

During  the  winter  a scout  by  the  name  of  Charley  Rey- 
nolds was  at  the  Standing  Rock  Indian  Agency,  near-by. 
There  he  heard  an  Indian,  who  was  drawing  his  ammuni- 
tion, blankets,  and  rations  from  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment, openly  boasting  of  the  murder  of  the  Sutler  and 
Veterinary  Surgeon  of  the  Yellowstone  Expedition.  It 
was  the  cruel  Rain-in-the-Face ; one  of  the  craftiest  and 
most  heartless  of  the  Uncapapa  Sioux.  This  intelligence 
was  brought  to  Custer’s  men,  where  it  created  such  great 
indignation,  that  it  was  decided  to  capture  the  dangerous 


380  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


Savage.  With  this  object  in  view  a command  of  cavalry 
was  dispatched  to  the  Agency  with  orders  to  arrest  the 
murderer  of  the  two  defenceless  men.  The  detail,  consist- 
ing of  a hundred  troopers,  arrived  just  as  the  Indians  were 
drawing  their  rations  of  beef.  As  five  hundred  of  them 
were  at  the  Agency,  armed  with  long-range  rifles,  it  was 
important  that  the  object  of  this  visit  should  not  be  known 
to  the  warriors. 

The  soldiers  were  in  charge  of  Captain  Yates  and 
Lieutenant  Tom  Custer  — the  General’s  brother  — and, 
in  order  to  avert  any  suspicions  of  their  real  intention, 
fifty  men  were  dispatched  to  another  camp,  near-by,  in  order 
to  inquire  for  three  Indians  who  had  attacked  some  citi- 
zens, during  the  past  year,  at  a place  called  Red  River. 
Lieutenant  Tom  Custer  was  ordered  to  go  to  the  Trader’s 
Store  with  five  picked  men.  Their  delicate  task  was  to 
find  and  capture  Rain-in-the-Face  among  the  crowd  of 
Sioux  who  congregated  there.  When  they  arrived,  they 
could  not  find  their  man,  but,  after  a while,  one  of  the 
Indians  lowered  his  blanket  from  his  eyes,  and  Tom 
Custer  saw  the  features  of  the  warrior  for  whom  he 
searched.  Advancing  upon  him,  from  the  rear,  he  sud- 
denly made  a spring ; threw  his  arms  around  him ; and 
seized  the  Winchester  rifle  that  he  carried.  Bitter  hatred 
and  revenge  showed  itself  in  the  eyes  of  the  savage  as  he 
struggled  to  free  himself,  while  the  other  Indians  crowded 
about  him,  gesticulating  wildly,  and  threatening  the  sol- 
diers with  their  guns  and  knives.  But  they  could  not 
frighten  the  cavalrymen,  who  held  on  to  him  until  a 
Captain  appeared  with  more  soldiers,  and  persuaded 
the  Indians  — by  means  of  an  interpreter  — to  let  him 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  381 


take  Rain-in-the-Face  away  in  peace,  for  he  told  them  that 
he  was  the  murderer  of  defenceless  men  and  that  he 
would  receive  the  same  treatment  as  a white  murderer. 
They  were  eventually  persuaded  that  he  would  receive 
kind  treatment  until  brought  to  trial,  and  so  they  de- 
parted to  their  camps,  without  attacking  the  captors  of 
this  savage  warrior. 

Rain-in-the-Face  was  taken  to  Fort  Lincoln  and  kept 
in  confinement  in  a stockade  with  a citizen  who  had  been 
caught  stealing  grain  in  the  store-house.  As  the  soldiers 
gradually  relaxed  their  careful  watch  on  the  prisoners, 
one  night  the  white  man  and  Indian  escaped.  They 
were  attached  together  with  a chain,  which  they  broke, 
and  then  cut  their  way  out  through  the  wooden  wall. 
Rain-in-the-Face  made  his  way  to  the  camp  of  Sitting 
Bull : the  famous  Sioux  Chieftain  who  had  sworn  that 
he  and  his  followers  would  never  go  to  a Reservation. 
In  the  Spring  of  1874  he  sent  word  — through  an  Agency 
Indian  — that  he  was  waiting  for  his  revenge  on  Lieuten- 
ant Tom  Custer,  and  he  swore  that,  when  they  next  met, 
he  would  cut  out  his  heart. 

The  Government  again  and  again  endeavoured  to 
make  a treaty  with  Sitting  Bull,  with  whom  Rain-in-the 
Face  had  allied  himself.  But  the  self-reliant  Chief  was 
defiant  in  his  attitude  towards  all  the  envoys  who  came  to 
him,  and  constantly  attacked  the  white  settlers  who  were 
beginning  to  take  ranches  on  the  frontier.  Besides  this, 
he  frequently  trespassed  on  the  land  of  the  peaceable 
Crows;  attacked  their  villages;  and  stole  their  ponies 
and  cattle.  These  Indians  appealed  to  the  Government 
to  aid  them  in  driving  off  the  marauders,  and  were  so 


382  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


persistent  in  their  request,  that  in  1876  a Spring  campaign 
was  inaugurated  against  the  Sioux.  The  troops  were  to 
be  directed  by  General  Terry,  who  was  to  be  aided  by 
separate  detachments  under  Gibbon,  Crook,  and  Custer. 

With  his  beloved  Seventh  Cavalry,  General  Custer 
marched  from  Rosebud  Landing  on  the  Yellowstone  River, 
Montana,  on  June  the  twenty-second,  and  with  him  bore 
instructions  from  General  Terry  of  a very  unspecific 
character.  He  was  ordered  to  proceed  up  the  Rosebud 
River  in  pursuit  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  whose  trail  had  re- 
cently been  discovered  by  Major  Reno  of  Custer’s  com- 
mand ; to  follow  the  tracks  until  he  found  out  definitely 
where  the  trail  led ; and  then  bear  over  to  the  left,  if  he 
found  that  the  Indians  had  travelled  towards  the  Little 
Big  Horn  Mountains,  so  that  they  could  not  escape  South- 
ward. He  was  to  be  followed  by  Gibbon’s  column  of 
infantry,  which  was  to  move  to  the  forks  of  the  Big  and 
Little  Horn  rivers,  and  from  this  point  co-operate  with 
Custer’s  cavalry  in  an  attempt  to  surround  the  Indian 
camp.  The  supply  steamer  was  to  be  sent  to  the  forks 
of  the  two  rivers,  and  to  this  point  Custer  was  to  return 
when  his  rations  gave  out. 

On  June  22nd,  1876,  General  Custer  marched  his  col- 
umn twelve  miles  up  the  Rosebud  River,  and  on  the  day 
following,  made  thirty-three  miles.  At  the  close  of  this 
march  Indian  signs  began  to  be  discovered  and  the  sol- 
diers knew,  by  the  pony-tracks  in  the  soil,  that  a great 
number  of  Indians  had  recently  gone  by.  As  it  looked  as 
if  there  were  at  least  two-thousand,  every-one  in  the  com- 
mand became  greatly  excited,  for  now  a battle  with  the 
hostiles  became  a question,  not  of  days,  but  of  hours.  On 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  383 


June  the  24th  the  column  was  marched  twenty-eight  miles 
and  then  was  halted  while  scouts  were  sent  out  in  advance 
to  try  and  find  the  Indian  village.  This  was  discovered  in 
the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river,  where  the  lodges  of  the  Sioux  were  stretched  along 
the  stream  for  five  miles.  Custer  called  his  officers  to- 
gether and  told  them  of  the  discovery,  saying  that  in  order 
to  attack  the  village  it  would  be  necessary  to  cross  the 
range  of  hills  between  the  Rosebud  Valley,  in  which  they 
now  were,  and  the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn.  He 
stated  that  this  he  intended  to  do  at  night-fall  in  order 
that  he  would  not  be  discovered  by  the  vigilant  Sioux. 

There  had  been  some  question  as  to  the  advisability  of 
attacking  the  Indians  at  all,  for  Custer  knew  that  they 
were  in  greatly  superior  numbers  and  were  well-armed. 
He  had  no  definite  instructions  to  attack,  for  his  orders 
read  that : “ the  Department  Commander  places  too 
much  confidence  in  your  zeal,  energy,  and  ability,  to  wish 
to  impose  upon  you  precise  orders  which  might  hamper 
your  action  when  nearly  in  contact  with  the  enemy.”  It 
must  be  acknowledged,  however,  that  a fight  was  expected 
of  him,  if,  in  his  judgment,  he  could  be  successful.  At 
this  time  he  was  not  in  high  favour  with  the  authorities  at 
Washington,  for  he  was  smarting  under  restrictions  that 
had  been  put  upon  his  movements  by  those  in  high,  mili- 
tary position.  He  had  even  had  some  difficulty  with  Gen- 
eral U.  S.  Grant : then  President  and  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  army,  and  was,  doubtless,  delighted  to  have  the 
opportunity  of  fighting  the  Indians  alone,  without  the  aid 
of  Gibbon’s  infantry  column  three  days’  march  behind. 
It  is  apparent  that  he  was  stimulated  by  the  anticipation 


384  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


of  a victory  which  would  illuminate  his  already  brilliant 
career  and  reinstate  him,  once  more,  in  the  favour  of  those 
with  whom  he  was  in  disfavour.  Undoubtedly  a more 
careful  officer  would  have  waited  for  reinforcements,  but 
Custer  was  impetuous  and  daring.  In  spite  of  the  great 
numbers  of  Indians  (and  he  believed  that  there  were  three 
thousand  in  all)  he  considered  the  Seventh  Cavalry  to  be 
invincible,  as  they  had  never  yet  been  defeated  in  an  Indian 
battle.  The  man’s  impulsive  nature  led  him  on  to  his 
doom. 

The  Seventh  Cavalry  resumed  its  march  and  began  to 
cross  the  divide  at  eleven  o’clock  that  night.  Three  hours 
later  the  Indian  scouts  came  back  and  reported  that  it 
was  too  dark  to  find  the  trail  and  that  the  pass  could  not 
be  crossed  until  daylight.  So  the  soldiers  were  halted; 
coffee  was  boiled;  and,  at  five  in  the  early  morning,  the 
march  was  resumed.  About  eight  o’clock  some  Sioux 
horsemen  were  discovered,  who  galloped  towards  the 
hostile  camp.  Thus,  all  hope  of  a surprise  was  at  an  end. 

Without  further  consultation  with  his  officers,  Custer 
determined  to  march,  at  once,  upon  the  village.  At  the 
battle  of  the  Washita  — in  the  snow-storm  — he  had  di- 
vided his  force  and  been  successful.  Why  not  here? 
Napoleon  lost  the  battle  of  Waterloo  because  he  divided 
his  army  and  sent  General  Grouchy  to  chase  Bliicher, 
who  eluded  him,  but  General  Lee  had  divided  his  forces 
at  Chancellorsville  and  been  successful.  Even  here  it 
might  have  been  a successful  method  of  attack,  had 
Major  Reno,  with  troops  M,  A,  and  G,  been  more  ag- 
gressive in  his  advance. 

The  plan  of  the  battle  was  as  follows.  Major  Reno, 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  385 


with  his  three  companies,  was  to  separate  from  Custer 
and  move  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Little  Big  Horn 
River.  The  Indian  camp  was  on  that  side,  and  he  was  to 
fight  his  way,  if  possible,  right  into  the  heart  of  the  village, 
while  Custer,  with  five  troops  — in  all  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  men  — was  to  fall  upon  the  village  from  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  after  fording  the  stream.  Colonel 
Benteen,  with  three  troops,  was  to  swing  far  to  the  left  of 
Reno  and  beat  off  any  Indian  in  that  direction,  while  Cap- 
tain McDougall  — - with  one  troop  — was  left  behind  to 
escort  the  pack  train.  By  this  plan  of  action  Custer  hoped 
not  only  to  defeat  the  Indians,  but  to  capture  the  whole 
band ; for  it  was  a duplicate  of  his  attack  at  the  Battle  of 
the  Washita.  Let  us  see  how  well  his  designs  were  carried 
out. 

Major  Reno  moved,  with  the  companies  assigned  to 
him,  over  to  the  left  of  the  valley.  Benteen’s  column  gal- 
loped away,  out  of  sight,  and  parted  with  Custer,  as  he 
swung  over  to  the  right  of  the  Little  Big  Horn.  Accom- 
panied by  some  of  the  scouts,  Reno  forded  the  stream, 
and  charged  forward  upon  the  gallop  in  the  direction  of 
the  Indian  village.  As  he  came  in  sight  of  the  lodges,  the 
Sioux  appeared  to  he  taken  by  surprise,  at  first;  then 
ran  to  their  tepees ; massed  themselves  in  his  front ; and 
began  to  pour  a hot  fire  into  his  command.  Had  Reno 
pressed  forward,  all  would  have  been  well,  for  he  found 
out,  long  afterwards,  that  the  savages  were  greatly  sur- 
prised at  his  appearance,  as  the  Sioux  horsemen,  seen 
that  morning,  had  just  come  into  camp.  As  a matter  of 
fact,  the  Indians  were  decidedly  demoralized  by  the  charge, 
and,  had  he  kept  on  and  furiously  assaulted  the  village, 


386  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  could,  no  doubt,  have  stampeded  the  camp,  while 
Custer,  on  the  right  bank,  would  have  united  with  him. 
But  Reno  did  not  press  the  attack.  On  the  contrary,  he 
dismounted  his  men  to  fight  on  foot  and  stood  the  Indians 
off  at  long  range.  With  this  show  of  apparent  fear,  the 
Sioux  and  Cheyenne  warriors  became  much  bolder ; they 
advanced  to  close  quarters  with  his  command ; kept  up  a 
vigorous  firing,  and  crept  around  upon  his  flanks.  Reno 
said  afterwards  that  the  Indians  outnumbered  him  five 
to  one,  and,  seeing  no  signs  of  Custer’s  support,  at  the 
time,  he  was  afraid  to  go  ahead,  as  he  feared  that  he 
would  be  surrounded  and  annihilated. 

The  fire  of  the  Sioux  now  became  more  accurate,  as  they 
worked  around  to  Reno’s  rear,  so  he  decided  to  withdraw 
before  they  could  cut  him  off  from  some  tall  bluffs  behind 
him.  Ordering  a retreat  to  these  ; the  soldiers  fell  back  in 
good  form;  and,  as  is  always  the  case  when  white  men 
retreat  before  Indians,  the  savages  became  very  bold. 
They  pulled  more  than  one  trooper  from  his  horse  before 
they  reached  the  bluffs,  with  a loss  of  three  officers  and 
twenty-nine  men.  Here  the  troops  stood  off  the  Indians 
very  successfully  until  joined  by  Benteen’s  three  com- 
panies and  McDougall,  with  the  pack  train;  when  the 
savages  lessened  their  fire.  Benteen  had  given  up  his 
flanking  movement  on  the  left,  as  he  had  seen  no  Indians 
there,  and  had  begun  to  return  to  the  spot  where  he  left 
Custer,  when  he  was  met  by  two  orderlies  with  messages 
for  himself  and  McDougall,  which  read,  “ Come  on.  Be 
quick.  Bring  Packs,”  written  and  signed  by  Lieutenant 
Cook,  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment.  This  was  the  last  order 
sent  by  General  Custer, 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  387 


Reno  grew  more  courageous  after  he  had  been  joined 
by  Benteen,  and,  hearing  nothing  of  Custer,  he  moved  his 
men  down  the  river  in  the  direction  of  the  village,  keeping 
to  the  top  of  the  bluffs.  The  troops  now  heard  firing  in  the 
direction  of  the  camp  and  knew  it  must  be  Custer.  So  the 
command  was  shifted  to  a high  bluff,  in  the  endeavour  to 
see  what  was  happening  below  in  the  valley.  This  was 
the  time  for  Reno  to  have  again  charged,  for,  although  the 
Indians  were  keeping  up  a steady  fire  from  the  under- 
brush, and  appeared  to  be  in  considerable  numbers ; they 
really  were  not.  Reno  did  attempt  to  break  through  to 
the  column,  and  sent  Captain  Weir,  with  his  company, 
to  open  communications  with  Custer ; but  the  brave  Cap- 
tain, although  making  a bold  advance,  soon  came  back, 
and  stated  that  he  could  not  proceed  into  the  valley  as 
the  Indians  surrounded  him  with  overwhelming  numbers. 
Reno  then  ordered  the  whole  command  back  to  the  first 
position  on  the  bluffs,  which  seemed  to  be  the  best  for  de- 
fence. The  men  were  told  to  dismount;  the  horses  and 
mules  of  the  pack  train  were  driven  into  a depression; 
and  the  soldiers  were  stationed  on  the  crests  of  the  hills. 
Hardly  had  this  been  done  when  they  were  furiously  at- 
tacked by  large  numbers  of  the  Indians.  This  was  about 
six  in  the  evening,  and  a battle  — in  which  eighteen  troops 
were  killed  and  forty-six  wounded  — waged  until  nine 
o’clock. 

By  this  time  Reno  was  well  aware  of  the  overwhelming 
numbers  of  the  Sioux,  and  had  given  up  all  hope  of  hearing 
from  Custer.  He  thought  that  his  Commander  must  have 
retreated  towards  Gibbon’s  column  and  would  hardly 
risk  a decisive  fight  with  such  great  odds  against  him.  So 


388  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


he  decided  not  to  advance  but  to  stay  where  he  was  and 
defend  himself.  The  men  were  therefore  ordered  to  dig 
rifle  pits,  which  were  barricaded  with  dead  horses,  mules, 
and  boxes  of  hard-bread ; while  every  exertion  was  made 
to  repel  the  assault  which  the  soldiers  knew  would  come 
in  the  morning.  During  the  night  the  Indians  could  be 
heard  holding  a scalp  dance,  below,  in  the  valley. 

Meanwhile;  what  had  happened  to  Custer?  When 
Reno’s  men  heard  several  rolls  of  musketry  in  the  direction 
of  the  Indian  camp,  they  should  have  pushed  forward. 
The  dreadful  fate  which  befell  Custer’s  gallant  band  might 
thus  have  been  averted,  for  the  majority  of  the  Indians 
were  then  annihilating  Custer’s  men,  and  only  a thin 
fringe  of  savages  were  besieging  Reno.  By  their  rapid  fire 
the  Indians  purposely  made  the  impression  that  they  were 
in  far  greater  numbers  than  they  really  were. 

Custer  had  moved  around  the  point  of  the  range,  which 
had  hidden  him  from  the  enemy,  when  he  separated  from 
Reno  in  the  early  morning.  After  fording  a small  tribu- 
tary of  the  river,  he  swept  down  the  right  bank  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn.  The  valley  is,  at  this  point,  from  half  a 
mile  to  a mile  and  a half  wide;  the  river  is  full  of  dan- 
gerous quicksands,  so  Custer  galloped  to  a dry  water- 
course, which  formed  a narrow  ravine  towards  the  river’s 
edge;  and  made  a dash  to  get  across.  I have  said 
that  he  expected  to  find  at  least  two  thousand  savages. 
Instead  of  attacking  such  a number,  there  were,  at  least, 
five  thousand  in  the  camp,  and  he  was  soon  in  a death 
grapple  with  three  thousand  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  war- 
riors. Met  by  a tremendous  fire  from  the  repeating  rifles 
of  the  Indians,  the  head  of  the  column  was  doubled  back 


DEATH  OF  GENERAL  CUSTER 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  389 


towards  some  high  bluffs  in  the  rear.  Several  soldiers,  in 
advance,  fell  headlong  into  the  water  and  were  swallowed 
up  by  the  quicksands. 

Seeing  that  it  was  impossible  to  cross  the  river,  Custer 
dismounted  his  men  and  led  them  up  to  the  bluffs  by  a 
diagonal  movement;  while  they  protected  themselves  by 
firing  at  the  Indians  over  the  backs  of  their  horses.  But 
the  savages  followed  with  speed,  closed  in  upon  the  doomed 
command  from  all  sides,  and  cut  off  the  retreat  to  the 
high  land.  Surrounded  on  all  sides  by  overwhelming  num- 
bers of  the  enemy,  the  troops  fought  gamely;  but  the 
deadly  fire  mowed  them  down  like  chaff  before  the  wind. 
They  and  their  horses  fell  in  rapid  succession.  A great 
many  Indians  were  also  struck,  as  they  dashed  in  at  close 
range,  and  near  enough  to  be  hit  by  revolver  bullets. 
Down  fell  Boston  Custer : the  General’s  brother.  Down 
among  the  reeling  cavalrymen  went  the  gallant  Tom 
Custer:  the  General’s  other  kinsman.  Mark  Kellog  — 
a newspaper  correspondent  — nearly  succeeded  in  making 
his  escape,  but  the  animal  he  rode  was  too  slow  for  the 
Indian  ponies,  so  he  was  overtaken ; shot ; and  scalped. 
Captain  Keogh : a gallant  and  noble-hearted  gentleman, 
fell  in  a last  rally  upon  a hill-top.  Finally,  General  Custer, 
himself,  was  struck  in  the  body  by  a ball.  He  dropped 
upon  his  side  and  fired  a few  shots  into  the  yelling  savages 
with  his  revolver.  Another  bullet  struck  him,  and  he 
sank  in  death.  Soon  the  last  cavalryman  had  ceased  to 
breathe,  — it  was  all  over  with  Custer  and  his  courageous 
men. 

Of  that  terrible  carnage  in  the  Valley  of  the  Little  Big 
Horn,  only  two  living  things  escaped.  One  was  Curly: 


390  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


General  Custer’s  Indian  scout,  and  the  other  was  Com- 
manche : Captain  Keogh’s  war  horse.  The  former’s 
escape  was  most  fortunate,  for,  when  he  saw  that  things 
were  hopeless  he  watched  his  opportunity;  got  hold  of  a 
Sioux  blanket;  held  it  to  his  eyes;  and  worked  himself 
up  a ravine.  As  the  Indians  charged,  he  mingled  among 
them,  and,  in  the  excitement  of  battle,  they  did  not  notice 
that  he  was  not  one  of  their  own  men.  Some  of  the  Sioux; 
were  mounted ; Curly  saw  one  of  them  fall.  He  ran  to 
him,  jumped  upon  his  pony,  and  galloped  away  in  the  di- 
rection of  Custer’s  men.  Then  he  suddenly  veered  off, 
made  up  a ravine,  and  so  escaped.  He  said  afterwards 
that,  as  he  looked  back,  he  saw  a dozen  or  more  soldiers  in 
a ravine,  a mile  from  the  battle-field,  who  were  fighting 
Sioux  all  around  them,  and  were  outnumbered  five  to  one. 

So  much  for  Custer.  He  fought  a game  fight  and  had 
been  crushed  by  overwhelming  numbers.  There  were  still 
the  men  under  Reno;  anxiously  waiting  for  what  the 
morning  would  bring,  and  determined  to  sell  their  lives 
dear.  They  expected  to  be  attacked,  and,  in  this,  they 
were  not  to  be  disappointed,  for,  at  day-break,  the  crack  of 
two  rifles  announced  the  signal  for  an  onslaught  on  the 
entrenched  command.  After  the  annihilation  of  Custer  the 
Indians  were  confident  that  Reno  would  share  the  same 
fate  and  so  came  on  with  much  vigour.  A terrific  force  was 
poured  into  the  fortified  camp,  and,  as  the  day  brightened, 
countless  hordes  of  warriors  poured  up  the  Valley  from  the 
village.  They  scampered  to  the  high  points  shown  them 
by  their  chiefs,  and  completely  surrounded  Reno’s  position. 
The  battle  raged  from  day-light  until  about  9.30  in  the 
morning,  when  the  troopers  saw  that  the  Indians  were  to 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  391 


make  a last  desperate  assault.  Soon  they  came  on  and 
charged  close  enough  to  use  their  bows  and  arrows,  which 
they  discharged  with  great  inaccuracy.  This  assault  was 
gallantly  repulsed  by  the  men  under  Captain  Ben- 
teen. 

The  fury  of  the  Indian  attack  now  seemed  to  have  spent 
itself,  and,  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  the  savages  were 
seen  going  back  to  the  village.  They  moved  away  from 
this  in  the  afternoon,  having  split  into  small  bands.  About 
two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  the  grass  was  set  on  fire  in  the 
Big  Horn  Valley,  and  behind  this  protecting  screen  of 
smoke,  the  Indians  made  their  retreat  with  their  wives, 
children,  and  belongings.  The  hostile  tribes  filed  off 
towards  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  in  perfect  military 
alignment. 

Reno  felt  sure  that  they  would  return  to  the  attack  — as 
they  greatly  outnumbered  his  command  — and  he  there- 
fore determined  to  await  reinforcements.  The  position 
of  his  men  was  changed  so  as  to  get  an  unlimited  supply  of 
water  and  every  preparation  was  made  to  renew  the  fight- 
ing. The  soldiers  were  cheerful,  for  the  fate  that  had 
befallen  General  Custer  was  not  dreamed  of,  as  it  -was  be- 
lieved that  he  had  been  driven  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn  where  he  had  united  with  Terry’s  infantry 
column. 

Early  the  next  morning,  when  on  the  sharp  look-out  for 
Indians,  Reno  saw  a cloud  of  dust  far  down  the  valley  of 
the  Little  Big  Horn.  He  looked  at  it  carefully  with  his 
glass  and  decided  that  it  must  be  Custer.  Volunteers 
were  therefore  called  for,  to  find  out  what  the  column  was ; 
and  the  men  were  told  to  push  on  to  General  Terry  and 


392  FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS 


solicit  his  aid,  if  they  found  the  advancing  cloud  to  be 
hostile  Indians.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  getting  men 
enough  to  advance  upon  the  moving  body  in  the 
valley. 

In  a very  short  time  the  scouts  returned  in  a great  state 
of  happiness,  announcing  that  the  dust  was  from  Gibbon’s 
Infantry  column  with  General  Terry  in  command.  About 
half  past  ten,  that  morning,  the  worn-out  defenders  of  the 
cliffs  on  the  Little  Big  Horn  were  overjoyed  to  see  the 
fresh  troops  of  the  infantry  column  come  marching  up 
the  valley.  Cheer  after  cheer  arose  for  Terry  and  his 
dust-stained  Regulars.  Strong  men  cried  like  little  chil- 
dren when  they  knew  that  their  danger  was  over. 

Soon  Captain  Benteen  and  General  Terry  rode  down 
to  the  spot  where  the  Indian  village  had  been  standing, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  they  discovered  the  fate  that 
had  befallen  General  Custer  and  his  men.  There,  across 
the  river,  and  strewn  over  the  bluffs  in  their  last  sleep, 
lay  the  bodies  of  two  hundred  and  four  brave  soldiers. 
Each  had  been  stripped  of  his  clothing;  the  heads  had 
been  scalped,  and  the  bodies  horribly  mutilated.  General 
Custer,  alone,  had  not  been  touched,  for  the  Indians,  no 
doubt  recognized  him  and  respected  the  dead  body  of  one 
whose  fighting  qualities  they  had  good  reason  to  respect. 
By  the  side  of  the  General  lay  the  remains  of  his  brother 
Tom,  who  had  once  seized  the  savage  Rain-in-the-Face, 
and,  true  to  his  promise  to  cut  out  the  heart  of  his  capturer, 
the  cruel  Indian  had  made  good  his  oath.  Here  lie  to-day, 
the  bodies  of  these  members  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  just  as 
they  fell.  Each  soldier’s  grave  is  marked  with  a slab  of 
stone,  save  that  of  General  Custer,  whose  remains  have 


GEORGE  ARMSTRONG  CUSTER  393 


been  removed  to  West  Point.  There  his  monument  is 
ever  an  inspiration  to  the  cadets  of  the  Military  Academy ; 
urging  them  to  the  most  unselfish  performance  of  duty 
and  patriotic  service  to  their  native  land. 


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Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  $1.50 

“ Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a book  of  adventure  for 
boys  in  which  the  actualities  of  life  are  set  forth  in  a practi- 
cal way  could  be  devised  or  written.”  — Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER.  By  Winn  Standish. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  $1.50 

Jack  is  a fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  higb- 
school  boy. 

JACK  LORIMER’S  CHAMPIONS  ; Or,  Sport. 

on  Land  and  Lake.  By  Winn  Standish. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  . $1.5(1 

“ It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  give  a boy  interested 
in  athletics,  for  it  shows  him  what  it  means  to  always 
‘ play  fair.’  ” — Chicago  Tribune. 

JACK  LORIMER’S  HOLIDAYS;  Or,  Millvale 
High  in  Camp.  By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fun,  sports  and  adventure  to 
excite  the  healthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 

JACK  LORIMER’S  SUBSTITUTE;  Or,  The  Act- 
ing Captain  of  the  Team.  By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated . $1.50 

On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, tobogganing,  but  it  is  more  of  a school  story  perhaps 
than  any  of  its  predecessors. 

4—9 


L.  C.  PAGE  & COMPANY'S 


THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  G.  E.  T.  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....  $1.50 

“ The  Red  Feathers  ” tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 
of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 
ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING  PLOVER.  By  G.  E.  Theodore  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative.  Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull  $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 
lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  “ Flying  Plover,”  to  whom 
she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

COMRADES  OF  THE  TRAILS.  By  G.  E. 

Theodore  Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative.  Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull SI  .50 

The  story  of  a fearless  young  English  lad,  Dick  Ramsey, 
who,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  crosses  the  seas  and 
takes  up  the  life  of  a hunter  in  the  Canadian  forests. 

MARCHING  WITH  MORGAN.  How  Donald 
Lovell  Became  a Soldier  of  the  Revolution. 

By  John  V.  Lane. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....  $1.50 

This  is  a splendid  boy’s  story  of  the  expedition  of 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec. 

RODNEY,  THE  RANGER  Or,  With  Daniel 
Morgan  on  Trail  and  Battlefield.  By  John  V. 
Lane. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....  $1.50 

Young  Rodney  Allison,  although  but  fifteen  years  of 
age,  played  a man’s  part  in  the  troublous  times  pre- 
ceding the  American  Revolution  and  in  the  War  itself. 

CHINESE  PLAYMATES 

By  Norman  H.  Pitman. 

Small  cloth  12mo,  illustrated  ....  $1.00 

A worth-while,  happy  little  story  about  two  little 
Chinese  boys,  Lo-Lo  and  Ta-Ta,  and  the  strange  fortunes 
that  befell  them  when  they  wandered  from  home. 

A— 10 


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